AGUNNERABOA 
THE' YANKEE" 


$&' 


FROM  THE  DIARY  OF  MQ  5 
ON  THE  AFTER  PORT  GUN* 


LIBRARY 


I 


A    GUNNER    ABOARD    THE    "YANKEE." 


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

Acknowledgements  are  due  to  J.  Harper  Skillen,  Stewart  Flagg, 
George  Yardley,  W.  G.  Wood,  and  E.  Howe  Stockwell  for  the  use 
of  photographs ;  and  to  C.  B.  Hayward  and  Allan  H.  Seaman  for 
the  use  of  notes  and  diaries. 


THE    NAVAL    KESEHVES    LEAVING    NEW    YORK — GOING    OFF    IN   THE 
TUGBOAT   TO  MAN   THE   "YANKEE"   (page  8). 


A  GUNNER  ABOARD 
jT\  THE  "YANKEE" 

FROM  THE  DIARY  OF  NUMBER 
FIVE  OF  THE  AFTER  PORT  GUN 


THE  YARN  OF  THE  CRUISE  AND 
FIGHTS  OF  THE  NAVAL  RE 
SERVES  IN  THE  SPANISH- 
AMERICAN  WAR 


"WITH 
INTRODUCTION 


NEW  YORK 

DOUBLEDAT  Sc  M9CLURE  C9 
1898 


COPYIIHiHT,  IWtS,  ItV 

DOUBLED  AY  &  McCLrilK  Co. 


EXPLANATION'  OF  TITLE  PAGE 

The  flogs  on  the  title-page  indicate  the  official  number  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Yankee, 
number  .MnV  It  is  read  from  the  top  down,  as  follows : 

The  red  »nd  white  flag  Is  called  a  "cornet":  it  Indicates  that  the  flags  following 
it  make  an  official  ship's  number.  The  flag  below  that  is  the  regular  Navy  code 
flag  five,  the  next  nine,  the  lowest  two. 

The  long  red,  white  and  blue  pennant  is  the  commission  pennant  placed  at  the 
topmast  head  when  a  vessel  goes  into  commission:  there  It  flies  till  the  .-hip  is 
formally  ont  of  commission. 


TO  THE  NAVAL  RESERVE  ORGANIZATIONS 

THROUGHOUT  THE  UNITED  STATES,  WHO  HAVE  MADE  SUCH 
AN  ENVIABLE  RECORD  DURING  THE  SPANISH-AMERICAN 
WAR  AND  BEFORE  WHOM  SUCH  A  GLORIOUS  FUTURE  OPENS 

THIS    BOOK  IS   RESPECTFULLY 
DEDICATED 


INTRODUCTION. 

As  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  American 
Naval  Squadron  blockading  Santiago  and  the 
Cuban  coast,  the  auxiliary  cruiser  "  Yankee," 
manned  by  the  New  York  Naval  Reserves,  came 
immediately  under  my  observation,  and  it  is  a 
pleasure  for  me  to  speak  of  the  spirit  and  effi 
ciency  shown  by  the  officers  and  crew  during 
their  stay  under  my  command. 

The  young  men  forming  the  ship's  company  of 
the  "  Yankee  "  were  called  into  service  several 
weeks  prior  to  any  other  Naval  Reserve  bat 
talion  ;  they  came  from  all  walks  of  civil  life, 
and  their  minds,  devoted  to  peaceful  pursuits, 
were  suddenly  diverted  to  the  needs  and  require 
ments  and  the  usages  of  naval  routine.  Not 
withstanding  this  radical  change,  they  have 
made  the  name  of  their  ship  a  household  word 
throughout  the  country,  and  have  proved  that 
the  average  American,  whether  he  be  clerk  or 
physician,  broker,  lawyer,  or  merchant,  can,  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment,  prove  a  capable  fighter 


INTRODUCTION. 

for  his  country  even  amid  such  strange  and  novel 
surroundings  as  obtain  in  the  naval  service. 
These  young  men  have  especially  upheld  the 
American  supremacy  in  the  art  of  gunnery,  and 
have,  on  all  occasions,  proved  brave  and  efficient. 
The  conclusion  of  the  Spanish- American  War 
released  them  from  their  voluntarily  assumed  po 
sitions  in  the  regular  navy,  but  when  they  re 
turned  to  civil  life  they  carried  with  them  the 
consciousness  of  duty  well  done  at  Santiago  and 
Cienfuegos  and  whenever  their  guns  were  used 
in  hostile  action.  In  a  word,  the  Naval  Re 
serves  manning  the  "  Yankee,"  in  common  with 
those  on  board  other  vessels  in  the  service,  have 
proved  their  aptitude  for  sea  duty,  and  made  ap 
parent  the  wisdom  of  the  Government  in  calling 
them  into  active  service. 

W.  T.  SAMPSON, 
Rear-Admiral,  U.  S.  N. 

U.  8.  FLAGSHIP  "  NEW  YOKK," 
September  3,  1898. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEB  PAGE 

INTRODUCTION          .        .        .        .        .  ix 

PREFACE          1 

I.  IN  WHICH   THE  "YANKEE"  GOES  INTO  COM 
MISSION        4 

II.  IN  WHICH  WE  GET  UNDER  WAY  AT  LAST     .  17 

III.  IN   WHICH    THE    "YANKEE"    CRUISES     FOR 

PRIZES 80 

IV.  WE  GET  ORDERS  TO  GO  SOUTH       ...  43 
V.  A  WILD  GOOSE  CHASE 57 

VI.  WE  BECOME  COAL  HEAVERS  ....  73 

VII.  WE  ENTER  THE  ' '  THEATRE  OF  WAR  "  .        .87 

VIII.  WE  JOIN  SAMPSON'S  FLEET    ....  101 

IX.  CLEAR  SHIP  FOR  ACTION        ....  115 

X.  WE  BOMBARD  SANTIAGO  DE  CUBA  .        .        .  130 

XI.  A  PERILOUS  MOMENT 146 

XII.  IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURE      ....  161 

XIII.  A  NARROW  ESCAPE 176 

XIV.  WE  ENGAGE  IN  A  SEA  FIGHT  192 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTBB  PAOB 

XV.  COALING  IN  THE  TROPICS        ....    208 

XVI.    "REMEMBER  THE   FlSH "  .  .  .  .222 

XVII.  IN  GOD'S  COUNTRY          .        .        .        .        .237 
XVIII.  THE  "YANKEE"  ARRIVES  OFF  SANTIAGO      .    254 

XIX.  HOPE  DEFERRED .269 

XX.  TAPS        .  284 

APPENDIX  ,    297 


xii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FACING 
PAGE 
THE   NAVAL  RESERVES  LEAVING  NEW  YOEK — GOING 

OFF  IN  THE  TUGBOAT  TO  MAN  THE  "YANKEE"    . 

Frontispiece. 

"  THAT  FAT  MAN  IN  THE  CELLAR  WANTS  ME  TO  SLEEP 

IN  A  BAG—" 19 

"  BEGAN   TO   SCRUB   THE   JUMPER  AS  IF   IT  WAS   A 

FLOOR" 36 

"ALL    HANDS    OF    THE   WATCH    'TURNED   TO'   AND 

SCRUBBED  DECKS  " 36 

"THE    'Km'    HAPPENED    TO    BE    NEXT    ME    WHEN 

'STOPPING  CLOTHES'  ON  THE  LINE"    ...      38 

"THE   SIX-POUNDERS  ON  THE  SPAR  DECK  BEGAN  TO 

BARK" 38 

"THE  GIG  WAS  LOWERED" 50 

"  THE  MEN  ON  THE  STAGES  " 50 

"  THE  '  YANKEE  '  DROPPED  HER  ANCHOR  OFF  TOMP- 

KINSVILLE  " 77 

"WITH    A    FRIGHTFUL    ROAR  THE  DEFECTIVE  CAR 
TRIDGE  EXPLODED  " 82 

xiii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FACING 
PAGE 

"STAND  BY,  MEN.     BE  READY  FOR  INSTANT  ACTION "  100 

"  THE    SIX-POUNDERS  ON   THE    '  YANKEE'S  '    FORE 
CASTLE  JOINED  IN  THE  CHORUS  "  .        .        .        .112 

"  CLEAR  SHIP  FOR  ACTION  !" 115 

THE  BOMBARDMENT  OF  MORRO  CASTLE,  SANTIAGO     .  138 

ON  THE  GUN  DECK  DURING  THE  BOMBARDMENT          .  152 
THE   SEARCHLIGHT    "SWEEPING    BACK    AND    FORTH 

ACROSS  THE  BLACK  OF  THE  HORIZON  "         .        .  175 
"EVERY  HOUR  A  SIGNAL  BOY  CAME  RUNNING  AFT 

TO  READ  THE  LOG  " 185 

"  ALL  HANDS  ON  THE  CAT  FALLS  !  "  .        .        .        .  185 

"THERE  WAS  TEMPORARY  CONFUSION"       .        .        .  303 

"  OUR  APPEARANCE  BEGGARED  DESCRIPTION"    .        .  216 

"  TOOK  ADVANTAGE  OF  THE  TIME  TO  '  CAULK  OFF  '  "  216 

"THE  FUSILLADE  WAS  LIVELY"         ....  221 

"  SAW  THE  MEN  LYING  ROUND  THE  GUN  IN  HEAPS  "  236 

"THE  DECKS  WERE  SWABBED  THOROUGHLY"     .        .  236 

"  THE  SPAR  DECK  WAS  COVERED  WITH  RED  SHELLAC  "  240 
"  THE    MARINES    AIRED    THEIR    HAMMOCKS   ON   THE 

FORECASTLE  DECK"       .        .  .        .        .  240 

"  THE  BLANKETS  AND  MATTRESSES  WKRE  SPREAD  FOR 

AIRING" 244 

"UNDER  THE  HOSE"  .......  244 

xiv 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FACING 
PAGE 
"  HE  GOT  HIS  ORDERS  FROM  THE  BRIDGE  "         .        .    258 

"ALL  You  MEN  WHO  WANT  TO  GO  IN  SWIMMING  MAY 

DO  so  " 258 

"  THE   13-iNCH  CHARGE  OF  SMOKELESS  POWDER  WAS 

LOWERED  DOWN  " 263 

"  THE  ADMIRAL  WENT  OVER  IN  OUR  GIG  "         .        .  263 

"EIGHT  BELLS" 289 

"SANG  OUT  AS  HE  HEAVED  THE  LEAD"    .        .        .  289 
MARCHING  THROUGH  CITY  HALL  PARK,  NEW  YORK 

CITY 295 

COLORED  PLATES. 

SIGNAL  FLAGS  SHOWING  THE  "  YANKEE'S  "  OFFICIAL 

NUMBER Title-page. 

WIGWAGGING  AND  NIGHT-SIGNALLING  .        .        .        .90 

OFFICIAL  FLAGS  AND  PENNANTS 180 

THE  NAVY  CODE  OF  FLAG  SIGNALS  ,    250 


xv 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD 

THE  "YANKEE." 


PREFACE. 

When  the  important  events  of  the  first  part  of 
April,  1898,  were  shaping  themselves  toward  an 
inevitable  conflict  between  Spain  and  the  United 
States  of  America,  the  authorities  at  Washington 
began  to  perfect  their  plans  for  an  immediate  in 
crease  of  the  navy.  The  Naval  Militia  of  the 
country,  of  whom  Assistant  Secretary  Theodore 
Roosevelt  had  a  very  high  opinion,  came  in  for 
early  attention,  and  word  was  sent  to  the  differ 
ent  States  to  prepare  for  sendee.  Several  days 
previous  to  the  actual  outbreak  of  war,  messages 
were  forwarded  from  the  Naval  Reserve  receiv 
ing  ship  "  New  Hampshire,"  lying  at  a  dock  in 
the  East  River,  to  a  number  of  young  men,  mem 
bers  of  the  Naval  Militia,  residing  in  New  York 
City.  These  summons  contained  simply  a  re- 
1 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

quest  to  report  at  once  on  board  the  ship,  but 
they  resulted  in  a  most  curious  and  interesting 
transformation — in  fact,  they  formed  the  foun 
dation  of  a  chain  of  events  which  was  destined  to 
amalgamate  into  a  common  grade — that  of  a 
naval  bluejacket — several  hundred  young  Amer 
icans,  who,  in  their  natural  characters,  were  sons 
of  rich  men  and  of  men  of  moderate  means,  of 
doctors  and  lawyers  and  brokers  and  clerks  and 
bookkeepers,  and  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
respectable  citizens.  Patriotism  was  the  incen 
tive  which  called  these  youths  of  various  stations 
together,  and  sheer  love  of  country  and  the  cour 
age  to  fight  her  battles  formed  the  cement  which 
bound  them  cheerfully  to  their  duty.  To  fight 
for  pay  and  as  a  profession  is  one  thing;  to  offer 
your  freedom  and  your  life,  to  endure  discom 
forts  and  actual  hardships,  to  risk  health  in  a 
fever-stricken  foreign  country,  and  to  sacrifice 
settled  ambition  for  mere  patriotism,  is  another. 
It  is  the  latter  which  the  Volunteer  Naval  Re 
serve  of  the  United  States  has  done,  and  every 
American  citizen  with  a  drop  of  honest  blood  in 
his  veins  will  surely  give  the  organization  the 
praise  it  so  richly  deserves. 

On  the  third  of  May,  while  Cervera's  where 
abouts    was    still    an    absorbing    mystery,    the 
"  Yankee  "  (an  auxiliary  cruiser,  converted  from 
2 


PREFACE. 

the  steamship  "  El  Norte  ")  went  into  commis 
sion  at  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard.  She  was 
manned  entirely,  save  for  the  captain,  executive 
officer,  navigator,  paymaster,  and  the  marine 
guard,  by  members  of  the  New  York  State 
Naval  Militia.  For  four  months  she  remained 
in  commission,  weaving  the  threads  of  a  glorious 
record  which  will  ever  redound  to  the  credit  and 
honor  of  the  Volunteer  Naval  Reserve.  Truth 
is  ever  stranger  than  fiction,  and  the  simple  story 
of  the  boys  of  the  gallant  "  Yankee,"  as  set  forth 
in  the  diary  of  Number  Five  of  the  After  Port 
Gun,  should  appeal  to  the  heart  of  every  reader 
in  this  great  country  of  ours — a  country  made 
grander  and  better  and  more  potent  in  the 
world's  history  by  the  achievements  of  such 
brave  lads  as  those  who  formed  the  crew  of  the 
"  Yankee."  Number  Five's  diary  was  written 
simply  for  his  family,  but  the  fame  gained  by 
the  "  Yankee  "  leads  the  publishers  to  believe 
that  it  will  prove  interesting  to  Americans  far 
and  wide.  It  is  set  forth  in  narrative  form,  but 
the  incidents  and  the  straightforward,  simple, 
and  sailor-like  words  are  those  of  the  actual  par 
ticipant.  This  is  his  story. 


CHAPTER   I. 


IN     WHICH      THE      "YANKEE"      GOES     INTO 
COMMISSION. 


U.  8.  8.  "NEW  HAMPSHIRE," 

April  26,  1898. 

Report  at  "  New  Hampshire  "  immediately,  ready  to 
go  on  board  auxiliary  cruiser  "Yankee." 

(Signed) 

JOHN  H.  BARNARD, 

Lieut,  commanding  3d  Division, 

N.  T.  State  Naval  Militia. 

It  was  this  telegram,  brief  but  extremely  com 
prehensive,  received  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
twenty-sixth  of  April,  which  sent  me  post-haste 
to  the  old  receiving-ship  "  New  Hampshire," 
moored  at  the  end  of  an  East  River  dock.  The 
telegram  had  been  anxiously  expected  for  several 
days  by  the  members  of  the  First  Battalion,  and 
when  I  reached  the  ship  I  found  the  decks 
thronged  w^th  excited  groups. 

War  was  a  certainty,  and  the  very  air  was 
filled  with  rumors.  The  prevailing  topic  was 
discussed  from  every  point  of  view,  and  within 
4 


THE    "  YANKEE  "    GOES    INTO    COMMISSION. 

sixty  seconds  as  many  destinations  had  been 
picked  out  for  the  "  Yankee."  It  was  variously 
reported  that  she  was  to  go  to  Havana,  to  Manila, 
to  Porto  Rico,  and  even  to  Spain.  This  last 
rumor  brought  shouts  of  laughter,  and  "  Stump," 
as  we  termed  him,  a  well-known  young  insurance 
broker  of  Xew  York,  remarked,  in  his  character 
istic  way  : 

"  It  probably  won't  be  this  particular  '  Yan 
kee,'  boys,  that  will  go  there,  but  there'll  be 
others." 

There  was  much  cleaning  of  kits  and  furbish 
ing  of  cutlasses.  We  knew  that  we  would  not 
take  the  latter  with  us,  but  then  it  was  practice, 
and  we  felt  anxious  to  do  something  martial  as 
a  relief  to  our  excitement.  There  was  a  di 
version  shortly  before  noon,  when  the  "  old 
man  "  (the  captain)  appeared  with  a  number  of 
official-looking  papers  in  his  hands. 

"  He's  got  the  orders,"  whispered  little  Potter, 
our  latest  recruit.  "  Whoop  !  we'll  get  away 
this  morning,  sure." 

The  whistle  of  the  bosun's  mate  on  watch 
echoed  shrilly  about  the  decks  a  few  moments 
later. 

"  Now,  d'ye  hear  there,"  he  shouted,  hoarsely, 
"you  will  break  out  mess  gear  and  get  your 
selves  ready  for  messing  aboard  ship." 
5 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

That  did  not  sound  as  if  we  were  destined  to 
see  our  new  vessel  put  into  commission  YerJ 
soon,  and  there  was  some  grumbling,  but  the 
boys  fell  to  work  with  good  grace,  and  we  were 
soon  preparing  for  our  stay  aboard  the  old  frig 
ate.  The  officer  of  the  deck  was  lenient,  how 
ever,  and  the  majority  of  the  crew  secured  per 
mission  to  sleep  at  home  that  night. 

The  following  Monday,  on  reporting  on  board 
the  "  New  Hampshire,"  we  learned  that  the  en 
tire  detail  selected  to  man  the  "  Yankee  "  would 
proceed  to  that  ship  shortly  after  eight  bells. 
Word  was  passed  that  our  enlistment  papers — 
for  we  were  to  regularly  enter  Uncle  Sam's 
naval  service — would  be  made  out,  and  that  oiir 
freedom  and  liberty,  as  some  of  the  boys  put  it, 
would  cease  from  that  hour.  The  latter  state 
ment  made  little  impression.  We  had  entered 
the  Naval  Reserves  for  business,  if  business  was 
required,  and  we  expected  hardships  as  well  as 
fun. 

A  navy-yard  tug,  sent  by  the  Commandant, 
steamed  alongside  at  two  o'clock,  and  the  com 
pany  was  marched  on  board  without  delay.  The 
boys  were  eager  to  enter  on  this,  their  first  real 
detail,  and,  in  the  rush  to  gain  the  deck  of  the 
tug,  young  Potter  slipped  from  the  rail  and  fell 
with  a  mighty  splash  into  the  water.  "  Man 
G 


THE   "  YANKEE  "   GOES  INTO   COMMISSION. 

overboard!  "  bawled  his  nearest  mate,  and  "  Man 
overboard  !  "  echoed  one  hundred  and  fifty 
voices.  There  was  a  scramble  for  the  side,  and 
the  tug's  deck  hand,  assisted  by  several  of  our 
fellows,  fished  Potter  from  the  river  with  a  boat 
hook. 

"  Hereafter,  please  ask  permission  before  you 
leave  the  ship,"  facetiously  remarked  the  officer 
in  charge. 

"  Humph  !  as  if  I  meant  to  do  it,"  grunted 
Potter,  wringing  the  East  River  from  his  duck 
shirt. 

We  caught  our  first  view  of  the  "  Yankee  "  as 
we  steamed  past  the  cob  dock  at  the  yard.  We 
were  favorably  impressed  at  once.  She  is  a  fine- 
looking  ship,  large,  roomy,  and  comfortable,  with 
lines  which  show  that  she  is  built  for  speed.  As 
her  record  is  twenty  knots  an  hour,  the  latter 
promise  is  carried  out.  The  "  Yankee  "  was 
formerly  the  "  El  ISTorte,"  one  of  the  Morgan 
Line's  crack  ships,  and,  when  it  was  found  neces 
sary  to  increase  the  navy,  she  was  purchased, 
together  with  other  vessels  of  the  same  company, 
and  ordered  converted  into  an  auxiliary  cruiser. 
Gun  mounts  were  placed  in  the  cargo  ports, 
beams  strengthened,  magazines  inserted,  and 
interior  arrangements  made  to  accommodate  a 
large  crew.  The  "  Yankee's  "  tonnage  is  4,695 
7 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

tons;  length,  408  feet;  beam,  48  feet.  The  bat 
tery  carried  consists  of  ten  five-inch  quick-firing 
breechloaders,  six  six-pounders,  and  two  Colt 
automatic  guns.  After  events  proved  conclu 
sively  the  efficiency  of  the  "  Yankee's  "  arma 
ment. 

The  detail  was  taken  alongside  the  "  Yankee  " 
by  the  tug.  We  had  our  first  meeting  with  our 
new  captain,  Commander  W.  H.  Brownson,  of 
the  regular  navy.  His  appearance  and  his  kindly 
greeting  bore  out  the  reputation  he  holds  in  the 
service  as  a  gentleman  and  a  capable  officer.  It  is 
well  to  say  right  here  that  Commander  Brown- 
son,  although  a  strict  disciplinarian,  was  ever  fair 
and  just  in  his  treatment  of  the  crew.  Our 
pedigrees  were  taken  for  the  enlistment  papers, 
and  the  questions  asked  us  in  regard  to  our  ages, 
occupations,  etc.,  proved  that  the  Government 
requires  the  family  history  of  its  fighters.  The 
following  day  each  man  was  subjected  to  a  rigid 
physical  examination.  The  latter  ceremony  is 
so  thorough  that  a  man  needs  to  be  perfect  to 
have  the  honor  of  wearing  the  blue  shirt.  Per 
sonally,  when  I  finally  emerged  from  the  exam 
ining  room,  I  felt  that  my  teeth  were  all  wrong, 
my  eyes  crossed,  my  heart  a  wreck,  and  that  I 
was  not  only  a  physical  ruin,  but  a  gibbering 
idiot  as  well.  That  I  really  passed  the  examina- 
8 


THE   "  YANKEE  "   GOES  INTO   COMMISSION. 

tion  successfully  was  no  fault  of  the  naval  sur 
geon  and  his  assistants. 

After  the  medical  department  had  finished 
with  us,  the  enlistment  papers  were  completed, 
and  we  became  full-fledged  "  Jackies,"  as 
"  Stump  "  termed  it.  The  members  of  the  bat 
talion  were  rated  as  landsmen,  ordinary  seamen, 
and  able-bodied  seamen,  according  to  their  skill, 
and  a  number  of  men,  hastily  enlisted  for  the 
purpose,  were  made  machinists,  firemen,  coal- 
passers,  painters,  and  carpenters.  Some  of  these 
had  seen  service  in  the  regular  navy,  and  they 
were  visibly  horny-handed  sons  of  toil.  One 
Irishman,  whose  brogue  was  painful,  looked  with 
something  very  like  contempt  on  the  Naval  Re 
serve  sailors. 

"  Uncle  Sam  is  a  queer  bird,"  several  of  us 
overheard  him  remark  to  a  mate.  "  He  do  be 
making  a  picnic  av  this  war  wid  his  pleasure 
boats  an'  his  crew  av  pretty  b'yes.  If  we  iver 
tackle  the  Spaniards,  there'll  be  many  a  mama's 
baby  on  board  this  hooker  cryin'  for  home, 
swate  home." 

"  Hod,"  a  six-footer,  who  played  quarter-back 
on  a  famous  team  not  long  ago,  took  out  his  note 
book  and  made  an  entry. 

"  I'll  spot  that  fellow  and  make  him  eat  his 
words  before  we  get  into  deep  water,"  he  said, 
9 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

quietly.  He  was  not  the  only  one  to  make  that 
vow,  and  it  was  plain  that  Burke,  the  Irishman, 
had  trouble  in  store  for  him. 

On  our  return  to  the  "  New  Hampshire,"  the 
battalion  was  placed  under  the  regular  ship's 
routine.  All  the  men  were  divided  into  two 
watches,  starboard  and  port.  The  port  watch, 
for  instance,  goes  on  duty  at  eight  bells  in  the 
morning,  stands  four  hours,  and  is  then  relieved 
by  the  starboard  watch  ;  this  routine  continues 
day  and  night,  except  from  four  until  eight  in 
the  afternoon,  when  occur  the  dog  watches,  two 
of  them,  two  hours  long  each,  stood  by  the  port 
and  starboard  men  respectively.  The  dog 
watches  are  necessary  to  secure  a  change  in  the 
hours  of  duty  for  each  watch. 

From  now  on  we  were  given  a  taste  of  the 
actual  work  of  the  service.  Details  were  made 
up  each  morning  and  sent  to  the  "  Yankee  "  to 
assist  in  getting  her  in  readiness  for  service.  One 
of  the  first  duties  was  to  carry  on  board  and  stow 
away  in  the  hold  one  hundred  kegs  of  mess  pork. 
As  each  keg  contained  one  hundred  pounds,  the 
task  was  not  easy  for  men  unaccustomed  to 
manual  labor.  Still  there  was  no  complaint. 
In  fact,  the  only  growling  heard  so  far  had  come 
from  some  of  the  men  who  had  seen  service  in 
the  regular  navy.  Burke,  the  fireman,  de- 
10 


THE   "  YANKEE  "    GOES  INTO   COMMISSION. 

claimed  loudly  against  the  "  shoe  leather  an'  de 
terrer-cotter  hard-tack  which  they  do  be  tryin' 
to  feed  to  honest  workers.  As  for  the  slops  they 
call  coffee,  Oi  wouldn't  give  it  to  an  Orange 
man's  pig  !  " 

The  food  served  out  on  board  the  "  New 
Hampshire  " — being  the  usual  Government  ra 
tion  of  salt-horse,  coffee,  and  hard-tack — was 
vastly  different  from  that  to  which  the  majority 
of  the  boys  were  accustomed,  but  it  was  accepted 
with  the  good  grace  displayed  by  the  members 
of  the  Reserve  on  every  occasion.  All  these 
little  discomforts  are,  as  the  Navigator  (a  com 
missioned  officer  of  the  regular  navy)  remarked, 
"  merely  incidental  to  the  service." 

As  the  time  approached  when  we  were  to 
board  the  "  Yankee  "  for  good,  the  ordinary 
watches  were  abandoned,  and  only  anchor 
watches  kept.  An  anchor  watch  is  a  detail  of 
five  or  six  men,  selected  from  the  different  parts 
of  the  ship,  who  do  duty,  really,  as  watchmen, 
during  the  night.  Two  days  before  the  order 
arrived  to  leave  the  "  New  Hampshire,"  it  was 
found  necessary  to  station  several  men,  armed 
with  guns  and  fixed  bayonets,  on  the  dock  near 
the  ship,  to  stop  men  from  taking  the  "  hawser 
route "  ashore.  The  firemen  and  coal-passers 
had  been  refused  shore  leave,  or  liberty,  as  it  is 
11 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "7ANKEE." 

called,  because  of  their  habit  of  getting  intoxi 
cated,  pawning  their  uniforms,  and  loitering 
ashore.  Truth  to  tell,  the  guns  and  bayonets 
had  little  effect,  as  the  offenders  were  old  in  the 
business. 

The  second  night  after  the  order  was  put  in 
force  it  happened  that  "  Hod,"  who  was  rated  as 
an  able  seaman,  was  on  duty  with  gun  and  bayo 
net  on  that  end  of  the  dock  opposite  the  fore 
castle.  He  had  just  relieved  the  man  whose 
watch  ended  at  midnight,  and  he  stood  thought 
fully  watching  the  twinkling  lights  on  the  op 
posite  side  of  the  mighty  East  River.  There  was 
so  much  to  occupy  his  mind  in  a  situation 
which  was  both  charming  and  fascinating  that 
he  remained  motionless  for  several  minutes. 
Presently  there  came  a  slight,  scraping  sound, 
and  the  end  of  a  rope  struck  the  dock  almost  at 
his  feet. 

Glancing  up,  "  Hod "  saw  a  man's  figure, 
dimly  outlined  in  the  gloom,  slip  from  the  top 
gallant  forecastle  and  quickly  descend  the  rope. 
It  was  evidently  one  of  the  men  taking 
"  French  "  leave,  and  it  was  the  sentry's  duty  to 
give  the  alarm  at  once.  But  "  Hod  "  had  other 
views  in  this  particular  case.  Hastily  stepping 
back  into  the  shadows,  he  laid  his  gun  upon  the 
floor  of  the  dock,  and  rolled  up  his  sleeves  with 
12 


THE   "  YANKEE  "   GOES   INTO   COMMISSION. 

an  air  that  meant  business.  The  next  moment 
the  absconder  dropped  from  the  rope. 

As  he  prepared  to  slip  past  the  ship  a  sinewy 
hand  was  placed  upon  his  shoulder,  and  another 
equally  sinewy  caught  him  by  the  collar. 

"  Burke,  suppose  you  return  aboard  ship," 
said  "  Hod,"  quietly.  "  You  are  not  going  to 
hit  the  Bowery  this  time." 

The  Irish  fireman  attempted  to  wrench  him 
self  free,  then  he  struck  out  at  "  Hod  "  with  all 
the  force  of  his  right  arm.  The  quarter-back's 
practice  on  the  field  came  into  play,  and  the  col 
lege  graduate  tackled  his  opponent  in  the  latest 
approved  style.  The  struggle  was  short  and  de 
cisive,  and  it  resulted  in  Burke  declaring  his 
willingness  to  return  to  the  ship. 

"  The  next  time  you  try  to  size  up  a  new  ship 
mate  be  sure  you  are  on  to  his  curves,"  remarked 
"Hod,"  as  he  escorted  his  prisoner  over  the  gang 
way.  "  You  will  find  some  of  '  mama's  pretty 
boys '  rather  tough  nuts  to  crack." 

The  day  following  this  little  episode  found  the 
members  of  the  State  Naval  Militia  detailed  to 
form  the  crew  of  the  "  Yankee  "  in  full  posses 
sion  of  the  cruiser  which  they  were  to  sail  to 
glory  or  defeat  in  defense  of  their  country.  The 
ship's  company,  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  in 
all,  boarded  the  auxiliary  warship  without  cere- 
13 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

mony,  and  were  speedily  set  to  work  hoisting  in 
provisions,  removing  to  the  yard  all  unnecessary 
stuff  with  which  the  ship  was  littered,  and  get 
ting  her  generally  in  condition  for  sailing.  The 
work  was  extremely  hard,  but  it  was  done  with 
out  demur. 

A  naval  officer  attached  to  the  yard  stood  near 
me  at  one  time  during  the  afternoon,  and  I 
heard  him  remark  to  a  visitor  who  had  accom 
panied  him  on  board  :  "  You  will  find  an  object 
lesson  in  this  scene.  These  young  men  working 
here  at  the  hardest  kind  of  manual  labor,  buck 
ling  down  cheerfully  to  dirty  jobs,  were,  a  few 
days  ago,  living  in  luxury  in  the  best  homes  in 
New  York  City.  The  older  men  were  clerks, 
or  lawyers,  or  physicians,  and  not  one  of  them 
had  ever  stained  his  hands  with  toil.  Look  at 
them  now." 

Unconsciously  I  glanced  across  the  deck  to 
where  three  men  were  hauling  upon  a  whip,  or 
block-and- tackle,  which  was  being  used  to  hoist 
huge  boxes  and  casks  of  provisions  on  board. 
The  three  men  were  working  sturdily,  and  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  recognize  in  them, 
with  their  grimy  faces  and  soiled  duck  uniforms, 
a  doctor,  a  bank  cashier,  and  a  man-about-town 
well  known  in  New  York  City.  Near  the  for 
ward  hatch,  industriously  swabbing  the  deck, 
14 


THE   "  YANKEE  "   GOES  INTO   COMMISSION. 

was  a  black-haired  youth  whose  father  helps  to 
control  some  of  the  largest  moves  on  'Change. 
Scattered  about  the  gangway  were  others,  some 
painting,  some  rolling  barrels,  and  a  number  en 
gaged  in  whipping  in  heavy  boxes  of  ammuni 
tion.  They  were  all  cheerful,  and  the  decks  re 
sounded  with  merry  chatter  and  whistling  and 
song. 

I  turned  to  myself.  My  hands  were  brown 
and  smeared  and  bruised.  My  uniform,  once 
white,  was  streaked  and  stained  with  tar.  I 
wore  shoes  innocent  of  blacking  and  made  after 
a  pattern  much  admired  among  navvies.  I  had 
an  individual  ache  in  every  bone  of  my  body, 
and  I  was  hungry  and  was  compelled  to  look  for 
ward  to  a  dinner  of  odorous  salt-horse,  hard 
bread,  and  "  ennuied  "  coffee,  but  I  was  happy — 
I  had  to  admit  that.  Perhaps  it  was  the  novelty 
of  the  situation,  perhaps  it  was  something  else, 
but  the  fact  remained  that  I  would  not  have  left 
the  ship  or  given  up  the  idea  of  going  on  the 
cruise  for  a  good  deal. 

We  worked  hard  all  day,  and,  when  mess  gear 
was  piped  for  supper,  we  could  hardly  repress  a 
sigh  of  heartfelt  relief.  The  food,  bad  as  it  was, 
was  welcome,  and  when  I  reluctantly  swung 
away  from  the  mess  table  I  felt  much  better. 
At  six  bells,  shortly  before  hammocks  were 
15 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

piped  down,  the  "striker,"  or  helper,  for  our 
mess  cook,  said  mysteriously  : 

"  Don't  turn  in  early,  Russ,  there's  going  to  be 
a  little  fun.  '  Bill '  and  '  Stump  '  have  young 
Potter  on  a  string.  It  will  be  great." 


16 


CHAPTER   H. 

IN   WHICH    WE   GET   UNDER   WAY   AT   LAST. 

The  hint  of  possible  fun  that  night  was  suf 
ficient  to  keep  me  alert.  "  All  work  and  no  play, 
etc.,"  was  part  of  our  code  aboard  the  "Yankee," 
and  goodness  knows  we  had  worked  hard  enough 
getting  the  ship  ready  for  sailing  to  be  permitted 
a  little  sport.  Then,  again,  any  badgering  of 
young  Potter  would  be  innocent  amusement,  so 
I  laid  by  and  waited,  keeping  my  eye  on  "  Bill." 

"  Bill,"  by  the  way,  was  the  captain  of  our 
mess,  a  jolly  good  fellow,  popular,  and  always  in 
evidence  when  there  was  any  skylarking  on 
foot. 

Hammocks  were  piped  down  at  seven  bells 
(7:30  p.m.),  and,  as  it  was  our  first  experience 
on  board  the  "  Yankee,"  there  was  some  con 
fusion.  A  number  of  new  recruits  had  joined 
that  afternoon,  and  their  efforts  to  master  the 
mysteries  of  the  sailor's  sleeping  outfit  were 
amusing.  A  naval  hammock  differs  largely  from 
those  used  ashore.  A  hammock  aboard  ship  is 
17 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

of  canvas,  seven  feet  long,  with  holes  a  few 
inches  apart  at  each  end,  through  which  are 
reeved  pieces  of  strong  cord.  The  latter  are 
called  clews,  and  they  meet  at  an  iron  ring, 
which  is  attached  to  the  hooks  in  the  carline 
beams  when  the  hammock  is  in  position  for  use. 
When  a  hammock  is  properly  slung  it  hangs 
almost  straight,  with  very  little  sagging.  To  get 
in  properly,  one  grasps  two  hoops  near  the  head, 
and,  with  an  agile  spring,  throws  body  and  feet 
into  the  canvas  bed.  This  requires  a  knack,  and 
is  learned  only  after  a  more  or  less  painful 
experience.  A  three-inch  mattress  and  two 
blankets  go  with  each  outfit.  For  sheets  a  bag- 
like  mattress  cover  is  used,  and,  in  lieu  of  the 
downy  pillows  of  home,  the  sailor  must  be  con 
tent  with  his  shoes  rolled  up  inside  his  trousers 
or  flannel  shirt.  "With  it  all,  however,  the  naval 
hammock  is  very  comfortable.  There  is  the  ad 
vantage  of  being  able  to  not  only  wash  your 
blankets  and  sheets,  but  your  bed  as  well.  Once 
each  month  clean  hammocks  are  issued  and  the 
old  ones  scrubbed. 

While  I  was  below,  rigging  up  my  clews,  I  saw 
a  commotion  on  the  other  side  of  the  deck.  The 
master-at-arms  was  expostulating  with  one  of  the 
new  recruits  who  had  reported  that  afternoon. 
Suddenly  the  latter  called  out,  angrily,  "  I'll  see 
18 


THAT   FAT   MAN   IN   THE  CELLAR  WANTS   ME  TO  SLEEP  IN  A  BAG — 

(page  19). 


WE  GET  UNDER  WAY  AT  LAST. 

if  I  have  to,  durn  you  !  "  and  bolted  for  the  up 
per  deck.  The  master-at-arms  followed  him  at 
once,  and  several  of  us  followed  the  master-at- 
arms  to  see  the  excitement.  We  reached  the 
quarter-deck  just  as  the  recruit  came  to  a  stop  in 
front  of  the  officer  on  watch. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  you  ? "  demanded 
the  latter,  curtly.  "  What's  up  ?  " 

"  Th-th-that  m-m-man  down  in  the — the  cel 
lar  wants  me  to  sleep  in  a  bag,  durn  him," 
gasped  the  recruit,  waving  his  lanky  arms,  "  and 
I  won't  do  it  for  him  or  no  one  else." 

"  Cellar  ?  "  Then  the  officer  shouted  with 
laughter. 

The  recruit  was  sent  back  to  the  "  New  Hamp 
shire  "  next  day,  but  it  was  long  before  the  mas 
ter-at-arms  was  known  by  any  other  name  or  title 
than  "  the  man  in  the  cellar." 

A  few  minutes  before  tattoo,  "  Bill "  arid 
"  Stump  "  came  up  and  intimated  by  signs  that 
I  was  to  accompany  them  to  the  forward  part  of 
the  berth  deck.  On  reaching  the  extreme  end, 
which  was  occupied  by  an  immense  hawser  reel, 
"  Bill  "  indicated  a  hammock  which  was  swing 
ing  with  the  forward  clews  directly  above  the 
great  spool,  or  reel. 

"  If  young  Potter  doesn't  think  this  old 
hooker  is  haunted  I'll  never  play  another 

19 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

joke,"  he  chuckled.  "  Get  in  and  show  him, 
'  Stump.' " 

The  latter  grasped  two  hooks,  gave  himself  a 
swing,  landed  in  the  hammock,  and  in  an  instant 
struck  the  deck  with  a  thump,  the  hammock  un 
der  him.  As  he  rolled  out  I  rubbed  my  eyes. 
The  hammock  had  swiftly  returned  to  its  former 
position  ! 

"  It  isn't  hoodooed,"  grinned  "  Bill."  "  Just 
look  here." 

He  hauled  up  on  the  head  clews  and  presently 
a  five-inch  shell  appeared  above  the  top  of  the 
reel.  The  shell  was  fastened  to  the  end  of  the 
hammock  lashing,  at  the  other  end  of  which  was 
attached  the  ring.  The  lashing  led  over  the 
hook,  and  the  weight  of  the  shell  was  just  suf 
ficient  to  keep  the  hammock  in  its  place.  As  I 
finished  inspecting  the  clever  contrivance,  the 
boatswain's  mate  piped  tattoo. 

We  hurried  away  to  watch  from  a  distance. 
Laughing  and  singing,  the  fellows  trooped  down 
to  prepare  for  turning  in  ;  the  hard  labor  of  the 
day  had  not  dampened  their  spirits.  The  deck 
soon  presented  an  animated  scene.  A  number 
of  us  had  slept  long  enough  on  board  the  "  New 
Hampshire  "  to  become  accustomed  to  man-o'- 
war  style,  but  the  new  recruits  were  like  so  many 
cats  in  a  strange  garret.  They  stood  about, 
20 


WE   GET   UNDER  WA7  AT  LAST. 

glancing  doubtfully  at  their  hammocks  and  then 
at  their  clothes.  They  did  not  know  just  what 
to  do  with  either. 

"  How  do  you  get  into  the  thing,  I  wonder  ?  " 
asked  the  fellow  from  Harlem,  eyeing  his  sus 
pended  bed. 

"  Borrow  the  navigator's  step-ladder,"  sug 
gested  the  coxs'n  of  the  gig.  "  He  keeps  it  in 
the  chart  room." 

The  greatest  difficulty  was  the  disposal  of  our 
clothes.  There  were  no  wardrobes  nor  closets 
nor  convenient  hooks,  and  it  was  strictly  against 
the  rule  to  leave  anything  lying  around  decks. 
The  question  was  solved  presently  by  an  old 
naval  sailor,  who  calmly  made  a  neat  roll  of  his 
duck  jumper  and  trousers  and  another  of  his 
shoes  and  shirt.  The  latter  he  tucked  into  his 
clews  at  the  foot,  and  the  other  he  used  as  a  pil 
low.  We  thanked  our  lucky  stars  we  did  not 
have  creased  trousers,  smooth  coats,  vests,  white 
shirts,  collars,  and  neckties  to  dispose  of. 

In  due  time  young  Potter,  who  had  stayed  on 
deck  viewing  the  scenery  until  chased  by  the 
corporal  of  the  guard,  came  down  and  made  for 
his  hammock.  Four  dozen  pairs  of  eyes  watched 
him  with  delightful  anticipation.  Unconscious 
of  the  attention  he  was  attracting,  he  doffed  his 
clothes  and  brought  out  something  from  his 
21 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

black  bag  which  proved  to  be  a  night-shirt  !  If 
there  was  any  compunction  in  regard  to  the  trick 
intended  for  him,  it  instantly  vanished.  A 
sailor  with  a  night-shirt  was  legitimate  prey. 

-Whistling  softly,  the  victim  prepared  himself 
for  the  swing,  grasped  the  hooks,  and  then,  with 
good  momentum,  landed  in  the  hammock. 
There  was  a  swish,  a  distinct  thud,  and  young 
Potter  rolled  out  upon  the  deck  with  a  gasp  of 
amazement.  Turning  as  quickly  as  he  could, 
he  looked  up  and  saw  the  hammock  swinging  in 
its  proper  place.  It  was  physical  labor  for  us  to 
keep  from  howling  with  glee  at  the  expression  on 
his  face.  He  glanced  sheepishly  about  to  see  if 
his  catastrophe  had  been  observed;  then  he  made 
another  attempt.  This  time  a  heave  of  the  ship 
sent  him  even  more  quickly  to  the  deck,  and  he 
landed  with  a  bump  that  could  have  been  heard 
in  the  cabin.  He  was  fighting  mad  when  he 
again  scrambled  to  his  feet. 

"  I  can  lick  the  lubber  who  threw  me  out,"  he 
shouted. 

"  Stop  that  talking,"  came  from  the  master-at- 
arms'  corner.  "  Turn  in  and  keep  quiet  about 
the  decks." 

Potter  grumbled  something  under  his  breath, 
then  he  made  a  careful  search  in  the  vicinity  of 
his  hammock.  It  was  worth  a  dollar  admission 
22 


WE   GET   UNDER   WAY  AT  LAST. 

to  see  him  poke  about  with  the  end  of  a  broom. 
He  found  nothing  suspicious,  and  proceeded  to 
try  again.  Very  gingerly  he  grasped  the  hooks, 
and  he  experimented  with  one  foot  before  trust 
ing  his  whole  weight  to  the  hammock.  The  sec 
ond  he  released  his  hold  of  the  hooks  he  fell,  and 
the  fall  was  even  greater  than  before. 

"  The  blamed  thing  is  spooky  !  "  he  howled, 
as  he  gathered  himself  together.  He  made  a 
quick  run  for  the  ladder  leading  on  deck,  but 
was  stopped  by  the  master-at-arms,  who  de 
manded  an  explanation.  While  they  were  argu 
ing,  "  Bill  "  and  I  quickly  fixed  the  hammock, 
casting  off  the  shell  and  concealing  it  behind  a 
black  bag.  We  had  barely  finished  when  the 
chief  petty  officer  came  up  and  examined  the 
clews.  He  tested  them  by  applying  his  own 
weight,  then  gave  the  crestfallen  and  astounded 
Potter  a  few  terse  words  of  advice  about  eating 
too  much  supper.  Five  minutes  later  the  deck 
was  quiet. 

The  hard  labor  of  the  previous  day — such 
labor  as  hauling  and  pulling,  handling  heavy 
boxes  and  casks,  and  bales  and  barrels  of  pro 
visions  and  ammunition — had  made  me  dead 
tired,  and  I  slept  like  a  log  until  reveille.  This 
unpleasant  function  occurred  at  three  bells  (half- 
past  five  o'clock),  and  it  consisted  of  an  infernal 
23 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

hubbub  of  drums  and  bugles  and  boatswains' 
pipes,  loud  and  discordant  enough  to  awaken  the 
seven  sleepers.  We  roused  in  a  hurry,  and, 
with  eyes  scarcely  open,  began  to  lash  up  our 
hammocks. 

"  Seven  turns,  no  more,  no  less,"  bawled  the 
master-at-arms.  "  Get  just  seven  turns  of  the 
lashing  around  your  hammocks,  and  get  'em 
quick.  If  you  can't  pass  your  hammock 
through  a  foot  ring,  you'll  go  on  the  report. 
Shake  a  leg  there  !  " 

The  rumor  had  gone  about  that  it  was  the  cus 
tom  to  "  swat "  the  last  man  with  a  club,  and 
there  was  a  great  scramble.  We  found  the  ham 
mock  stowers  in  the  nettings,  which  were  large 
boxes  on  the  gun  deck,  and  our  queer  canvas 
beds  were  soon  stowed  away  for  the  day.  As  the 
reveille  hour  is  too  early  for  breakfast,  coffee 
and  hard-tack  is  served  out  by  each  mess  cook. 
The  coffee  is  minus  milk,  but  it  is  hot  and  palat 
able,  and  really  acts  as  a  tonic. 

The  first  order  of  the  day  is  to  scrub  down 
decks  and  clean  ship  generally,  but,  as  the 
"  Yankee  "  was  still  in  the  throes  of  preparation, 
we  were  spared  that  disagreeable  work  and  per 
mitted  to  arrange  our  belongings  for  the  long 
voyage  before  us.  In  the  service  each  man  is 
allowed  a  black  bag  about  three  feet  six  inches 
24 


WE   GET   UNDER  WAY  AT  LAST. 

high  and  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  and  a  small 
wooden  box,  eighteen  inches  square,  known  as 
a  "  ditty  box,"  to  keep  his  wardrobe  in.  All 
clothing  is  rolled,  and  careful  sailors  generally 
wrap  each  garment  ii<  a  piece  of  muslin  before 
consigning  it  to  the  black  bag.  In  the  ditty  box 
are  kept  such  articles  as  toothbrush,  brush  and 
comb,  small  hand  glass,  writing  material,  and 
odds  and  ends.  Each  bag  and  box  is  numbered, 
and  must  be  kept  in  a  certain  place.  At  first 
we  thought  it  wouldn't  be  possible  to  keep  our 
clothing  in  such  a  small  space,  but  experience 
taught  us  that  we  would  have  ample  room. 

The  following  days  until  the  eighth  of  May 
were  days  of  manual  labor,  which  hardened  our 
muscles  and  placed  a  fine  edge  on  our  appetites. 
To  see  the  men  who  had  been  accustomed  to  a 
life  of  .luxury  toiling  away  with  rope  and  scrub 
bing  brush  and  paint  pot,  working  like  day  la 
borers,  and  happy  at  that,  was  really  a  remark 
able  spectacle.  For  my  part,  I  noticed  with 
surprise  that  scratched  and  bruised  hands — 
scratched  so  that  the  salt  water  caused  positive 
pain — did  not  appeal  to  me.  I  tore  off  a  corner 
of  my  right  thumb  trying  to  squeeze  a  large  box 
through  the  forward  hatch,  and  the  only  treat 
ment  I  gave  it  was  a  fragment  of  rather  soiled 
rag  and  a  little  vaseline  borrowed  from  a  mate. 
25 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

To  quit  work  and  apply  for  the  first  aid  to  in 
jured  never  struck  me.  Ashore  I  would  prob 
ably  have  called  a  doctor. 

The  day  before  we  left  the  yard  one  of  my 
mates  sprained  his  back  lifting  a  box  of  canned 
meat.  In  civil  life  he  had  been  a  lawyer  with  a 
promising  practice,  his  office  being  with  one  of 
the  best  known  men  of  the  bar.  He  gave  it  up 
and  joined  the  Naval  Reserves  because,  as  he  ex 
pressed  it,  "  To  fight  for  one's  country  is  a  pa 
triot's  first  duty."  When  the  accident  hap 
pened,  he  refused  to  go  below  to  the  sick  bay 
until  the  doctor  stated  that  rest  for  a  few  days 
at  least  was  absolutely  necessary. 

"  It  isn't  that  I  mind  the  hurt,  boys,"  he  said, 
with  a  smile,  as  he  was  assisted  to  the  hatch, 
"  but  I  hate  to  be  knocked  out  in  my  first  en 
gagement,  and  that  with  a  box  of  canned  corned 
beef." 

The  monotony  of  work  was  broken  on  the 
ninth  of  May,  when  preparations  were  made  to 
leave  the  yard.  The  destination  was  only  Tomp- 
kinsville,  but  there  was  not  a  man  on  board  but 
felt  that,  as  the  last  hawser  was  cast  off,  we  were 
fairly  started  on  our  cruise  in  search  of  action. 
As  the  "  Yankee  "  was  assisted  away  from  the 
wharf  by  a  Government  tug,  a  number  of  friends 
gathered  ashore  cheered  lustily  and  waved  their 
26 


WE  GET  UNDER  WAY  AT  LAST. 

hats  and  handkerchiefs.  The  scene  had  been 
repeated  time  without  end,  no  doubt,  but  it  went 
to  our  hearts  all  the  same,  and  there  was  many  a 
husky  note  in  the  cheers  we  gave  in  return. 

There  was  also  encouragement  in  the  whistles 
we  received  as  we  dropped  down  the  East  River, 
and  we  felt  as  if  our  small  share  in  the  war 
would  be  appreciated  by  those  compelled  to  stay 
at  home.  We  steamed  directly  to  the  vicinity 
of  Fort  Wadsworth,  Staten  Island,  anchored 
off  Tompkinsville,  and  then  picked  up  a  berth 
there  for  the  night.  Half  way  down  the  bay  we 
met  a  tug  carrying  a  committee  from  the  "  Sons 
of  the  Revolution  "  of  New  York  State.  The 
committee  had  been  selected  by  the  society  to 
present  us  with  a  set  of  colors.  The  tug  accom 
panied  us  to  our  anchorage,  then  the  committee 
came  on  board.  The  ceremony  of  presentation 
was  rather  picturesque. 

The  visitors  gathered  on  the  bridge,  the  ship's 
bugler  sounded  the  assembly,  and  in  obedience 
to  the  call  we  lined  up  on  the  forward  deck.  We 
wore  the  white  duck  service  uniform,  including 
trousers,  jumper,  and  cap.  Some  of  the  uni 
forms  had  suffered  in  contact  with  pitch,  but  the 
general  effect  was  good.  When  everything  was 
in  readiness,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  pre 
sented  the  set  of  colors  and  said  : 
27 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD    THE    "YANKEE." 

"  Captain  Brownson,  officers  and  men  of  the 
(  Yankee/  I  have  the  honor,  on  behalf  of  the 
Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  to  present  these  colors  to 
the  members  of  the  Naval  Reserve  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  who  have  enlisted  for  service 
under  your  command." 

Pie  continued  by  hoping  that  the  colors  would 
ever  float  victorious,  and  said  that  he  did  not 
doubt  it,  and  then  our  skipper  made  a  little 
speech  in  reply.  The  affair  wound  up  with 
a  round  of  cheers  and  general  congratulations. 
The  flags  were  handsome,  and,  as  it  came  to  pass, 
they  flaunted  amid  battle  smoke  before  many 
weeks. 

Our  stay  off  Tompkinsville  was  to  be  short, 
but  we  had  time  to  become  acquainted  with  a 
characteristic  naval  oddity  known  as  the  bum- 
boat.  Diligent  inquiries  among  the  old  sailors 
on  board  the  "  Yankee  "  failed  to  enlighten  me 
as  to  the  derivation  of  the  name,  but  the  consen 
sus  of  opinion  was  that  these  floating  peddlers 
sold  articles  which,  to  use  a  slang  phrase,  were 
pretty  "  bum."  Experience  has  given  the 
opinion  some  color  of  truth.  Our  bumboat 
boarded  us  early  and  stayed  with  us  until  the 
corporal  of  the  guard  called  "  time." 

She  came  laden  with  pies  and  doughnuts,  pins 
28 


WE  GET  UNDER  WAT  AT  LAST. 

and  needles,  tape  and  buttons  and  whisk  brooms 
and  shoe  blacking,  handkerchiefs,  ties,  scissors, 
soap,  writing  paper,  envelopes,  ink,  pens,  cakes, 
bread,  jelly,  pocket  knives,  and  a  schedule  of 
prices  that  would  have  brought  a  blush  of  envy 
to  the  face  of  a  Swiss  inn-keeper.  As  the  boys 
had  not  yet  grown  entirely  accustomed  to  what 
is  called  "  Government  straight,"  i.e.,  salt  meat 
and  hard-tack,  the  bumboat  did  a  thriving  busi 
ness.  Young  Potter's  bill  was  tremendous,  and 
Mrs.  Bumboat  bade  him  a  regretful  farewell 
when  she  visited  us  for  the  last  time. 

At  three  in  the  afternoon  of  the  tenth  we 
hoisted  anchor  on  our  way  to  sea.  Our  good 
friends  had  not  deserted  us,  and  a  number  of 
them,  aboard  several  tugs,  accompanied  us  as 
far  as  the  Narrows.  The  "  God-speed  "  given 
us  as  we  steamed  away  would  have  been  a  fine 
object  lesson  to  our  future  antagonists. 

Up  to  the  present  we  had  been  concerned 
simply  with  the  preparations  for  war,  but  it  was 
destined  that  before  another  twenty-four  hours 
had  passed  we  would  have  a  taste  of  the  actual 
realities. 

The  "  Yankee  "  was  to  see  service. 


29 


CHAPTER   in. 

IN   WHICH   THE    "  YANKEE  "    CRUISES   FOB    PRIZES. 

It  was  evening,  the  evening  of  the  day  on 
which  the  "  Yankee  "  sailed  from  Tompkinsville 
bound  out  on  her  maiden  cruise  as  an  auxiliary 
ship  of  war.  The  afternoon  had  passed  without 
event,  save  that  which  attacks  the  amateur 
sailor  when  he  first  feels  the  heaving  swell  of 
old  ocean.  The  crew  had  shaken  into  its  place, 
and  the  men  of  the  watch  on  deck  were  com 
mencing  to  appreciate  their  responsibilities. 

The  ship  was  quiet,  save  for  the  faint  chug- 
chug  of  the  propeller  under  the  stern  and  the  oc 
casional  clang  of  a  shovel  in  the  fire  room  deep 
down  in  the  innermost  reaches  of  the  ship.  The 
sun  had  vanished  in  a  hazy  cloud  which  por 
tended  a  stiff  breeze,  but  the  wind  was  still 
gentle,  and,  as  it  swept  across  the  decks  from  off 
the  port  quarter,  it  seemed  grateful  indeed  to 
those  who  came  from  below  for  a  breath  of  air. 

Orders  had  been  issued  to  darken  the  decks. 
The  running  lights  of  red  and  green  were  still  in 
80 


THE    "  YANKEE  "    CRUISES   FOR   PRIZES. 

the  lamp  room,  and,  except  for  a  soft,  rosy  glow 
from  the  binnacle-bowl,  there  was  a  blackness  of 
night  throughout  the  upper  part  of  the  ship. 
Cigars  and  pipes  and  cigarettes  had  been 
tabooed,  and  doors  were  opened  in  the  deck 
houses  only  after  the  inside  lights  had  been 
lowered  to  a  flickering  pin  point. 

Up  on  the  forward  bridge  Captain  Brownson 
stood  talking  in  a  low  voice  to  the  executive  of 
ficer,  Lieutenant  Hubbard.  The  lurching  swing 
of  the  ship  caused  them  to  sway  back  and  forth 
against  the  rail  and  a  metallic  sound  came  from 
a  sword  scabbard  suspended  from  the  captain's 
belt.  The  presence  of  this  sword,  betrayed  by 
the  clatter  it  made,  told  a  secret  to  several  sailors 
gathered  under  the  lee  of  the  pilot  house,  and 
one  said,  in  an  excited  whisper  : 

"  There's  something  up,  Chips.  The  old  man 
is  fixed  for  trouble.  I'm  going  aft  and  stand 
by." 

The  speaker  started  off,  but  before  he  had 
taken  ten  steps  the  shrill  blast  of  a  bugle  sud 
denly  broke  the  stillness  of  the  night.  The  dis 
cordant  notes  rang  and  echoed  through  the  ship, 
and,  while  the  sound  was  still  trembling  in  the 
air,  two  score  of  shadowy  figures  sprang  up  from 
different  parts  of  the  deck  and  scurried  toward 
the  ladders  leading  below. 
31 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

The  transformation  was  instant  and  complete. 

From  a  ship  stealthily  pursuing  its  way 
through  the  darkness — a  part  of  the  mist — the 
"  Yankee  "  became  the  theatre  of  a  scene  of  the 
most  intense  activity. 

There  was  no  shouting,  no  great  clamor  of 
sound  ;  nothing  but  the  peculiar  shuffling  of 
shoes  against  iron,  the  hard  panting  of  hurrying 
men,  the  grating  of  breech-blocks,  low  muttered 
orders  from  officer  to  man,  and  a  multitude  of 
minor  noises  that  seemed  strange  and  weird  and 
uncanny  in  this  blackness. 

A  belated  wardroom  boy,  still  carrying  a 
towel  across  his  arm,  slips  from  the  cabin  and 
hastens  forward  to  his  station  in  the  powder  di 
vision.  The  navigator,  an  officer  of  the  regular 
navy,  whose  ideas  of  discipline  are  based  on  cast 
iron  rules,  espies  the  laggard  and  administers  a 
sharp  rebuke.  A  squad  of  marines  dash  from 
the  "  barracks  "  below  and  line  up  at  the  sec 
ondary  battery  guns  on  the  forecastle.  Some  of 
the  marines  are  hatless  and  coatless,and  one  wiry 
little  private  shambles  along  on  one  foot.  He 
stumbles  against  a  hatch-coaming  and  kicks  his 
shoe  across  the  deck. 

Suddenly  an  order  comes  out  of  the  gloom 
near  the  main  hatch  and  is  carried  from  gun  to 
gun. 

32 


THE  "  YANKEE  "  CRUISES  FOR  PRIZES. 

"  Cast  loose  and  provide  !  " 

The  hitherto  motionless  figures  waiting  at  the 
battery  spring  into  activity.  Hands  move 
nimbly  at  the  training  and  elevating  gear. 
Breech-blocks  are  thrown  open,  sights  adjusted, 
the  first  and  second  captains  take  their  places, 
the  former  with  the  firing  lanyard  in  readiness 
for  use  at  his  gun;  then  there  is  silence  again 
as  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  division  holds  up 
one  hand  as  a  signal  that  all  is  prepared.  Then 
comes  the  word  to  load. 

In  a  twinkling  the  ammunition  hoists  are 
creaking  with  their  burdens  and  boxes  of  shell 
appear  on  deck.  These  are  quickly  lifted  to  the 
guns  and  taken  in  hand  by  the  loaders.  The  lat 
ter  do  their  part  of  the  general  work  thoroughly 
and  with  despatch,  and  presently  the  breech 
blocks  are  swung  to  and  the  battery  is  ready  for 
action. 

In  the  meantime  there  has  been  systematic 
preparation  in  other  parts  of  the  auxiliary 
cruiser.  Down  in  the  sick  bay  aft,  the  surgeon 
and  his  assistants  have  made  ready  for  their 
grewsome  task.  Cases  of  glittering  instruments 
have  been  opened,  lint  and  bandages  and  splints 
are  in  their  proper  places,  and  the  apothecary 
and  bayman  are  getting  the  cots  in  trim  for 
instant  use. 

3  33 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

In  the  fire  room  the  firemen  and  coal-passers 
are  heaping  up  the  furnaces,  a  couple  of  men 
hurry  away  to  attend  to  the  fire  mains,  and, 
standing  by  in  readiness  for  duty,  are  the  en 
gineers  and  crew  of  the  off  watch.  The  car 
penters  are  ready  below  with  shot-hole  plugs, 
and  everywhere  throughout  the  ship  can  be 
found  officers  and  sailors  and  marines  and  men 
of  the  "  black  gang,"  each  at  his  proper  station 
in  readiness  for  the  word  to  begin  action. 

But  that  word  does  not  come.  Instead  a 
stentorian  command  is  heard  from  the  bridge: 

"  Secure  !  " 

Laughing  and  joking,  the  crew  of  the  "  Yan 
kee"  hasten  to  restore  the  ship  to  its  former  state. 
All  this  has  been  a  drill,  the  drill  known  as  gen 
eral  quarters.  It  is  the  first  time  it  has  been  held 
under  service  conditions,  and  when  the  captain 
steps  down  from  the  bridge  and  says  in  his  brisk, 
authorita  tive  way,  "  Very  well  done,  very  well 
done  indeed,"  the  boys  of  the  cruiser  are  satisfied 
and  happy. 

Twice  during  the  night  the  drill  is  repeated. 
There  is  no  grumbling  because  of  disturbed 
sleep,  for  a  rumor  has  gone  about  the  ship  that 
Spanish  vessels  have  been  seen  off  the  coast,  and 
even  the  cranks  on  board  admit  that  drills  and 
exercises  are  necessary. 

34 


THE  "  YANKEE  "  CRUISES  FOR  PRIZES. 

Sea  watches  have  been  set,  and  the  rules  fol 
lowed  when  under  way  are  now  operative.  A 
brief  explanation  of  the  routine  attending  the 
first  hours  of  a  naval  day  may  help  to  make  suc 
ceeding  descriptions  more  plain.  The  ship's 
daily  life  commences  with  the  calling  of  the 
ship's  cook  at  3:30  a.m.  The  ordinary  mess 
cooks  are  awakened  at  four  o'clock,  so  that  coffee 
can  be  prepared  for  the  watch.  Coffee  is  always 
served  with  hard-tack  to  the  watch  coming  on 
deck  at  four.  It  is  all  the  men  get  until  break 
fast  at  7:30,  and  a  great  deal  of  work  must  be 
accomplished  before  that  time. 

After  the  hard-tack  and  coffee  had  been  con 
sumed — and  it  went  to  that  spot  always  reserved 
for  good  things — the  lookouts  of  the  other  watch 
on  the  port  and  starboard  bridge  and  the  patent 
life  buoys  port  and  starboard  quarter  were  re 
lieved.  As  soon  as  the  first  streaks  of  dawn 
were  to  be  seen  a  long-drawn  boatswain's  pipe, 
like  the  wail  of  a  lost  soul,  came  from  forward, 
and  the  order  "  scrub  and  wash  clothes " 
given. 

A  day  or  two  before  the  "  Yankee  "  left  the 
navy  yard,  one  of  the  pretty  girls  who  had 
come  over  to  visit  her  asked :  "  Where  do  you 
have  your  washing  done  ?  It  must  require  a 
great  many  washerwomen  to  keep  the  clothes  of 
35 


A   GUNXER   ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

this  dirty  [glancing  rather  disdainfully  at  her 
somewhat  grimy  friend]  crew  clean."  Though 
we  knew  that  the  luxury  of  a  laundry  would  not 
fall  to  our  lot,  we  were  at  a  loss  as  to  the  method 
pursued  to  clean  clothes. 

We  soon  learned. 

We  who  had  been  anticipating  an  order  of 
this  sort  came  running  forward  with  bundles  of 
clothes  that  would  discourage  a  steam  laundry. 
This  was  the  first  opportunity  we  had  had  to 
clean  up.  The  forecastlemen  led  out  the  hose, 
which  was  connected  to  the  ship's  pump,  and, 
after  wetting  down  the  forecastle  deck  (where 
all  clothes  must  be  scrubbed),  we  were  told  we 
might  turn  to. 

The  "  Kid,"  who  was  the  youngest  member 
of  the  crew  aboard,  very  popular  with  officers 
and  men,  and  who  afterward  became  the  ship's 
mascot,  said,  "  How  do  you  work  this,  anyway?  " 
I  confessed  that  I  was  in  the  dark  myself,  but 
proposed  that  we  watch  "  Patt,"  the  gunner's 
mate,  who  had  served  in  the  navy  before.  Pres 
ently  we  saw  him  lay  his  jumper  flat  on  the  deck, 
wet  it  thoroughly  with  water  from  the  hose, 
then  rub  it  with  salt-water  soap.  Then  he  fished 
out  a  stiff  scrubbing  brush  and  began  to  scrub 
the  jumper  as  if  it  was  a  floor.  We  then  under 
stood  the  significance  of  the  order  scrub  and 
36 


'  BEGAN   TO   SCRUB   THE  JUMPER   AS   IF   IT   WAS  A   FLOOR ' 

(page  36). 


:  ALL  HANDS  OF  THE  WATCH    '  TURNED  TO  '   AND  SCRUBBED 

DECKS"  (page  39). 


THE  "  YANKEE  "  CRUISES  FOR  PRIZES. 

wash,  clothes.  In  salt  water  the  clothes  have  not 
only  to  be  washed,  but  scrubbed  as  well. 

The  "Kid"  remarked,  "Well,  I'll  be 
switched,"  and  forthwith  fell  on  his  knees  and 
proceeded  to  follow  "  Patt's  "  example. 

Though  we  scrubbed  manfully,  "  putting  our 
backs  into  it "  and  "  using  plenty  of  elbow 
grease,"  as  instructed,  still  the  result  was  hardly 
up  to  our  expectations.  The  navigator  re 
marked,  as  we  were  "  stopping  "  the  clothes  on 
the  line,  "  You  heroes  might  scrub  those  clothes 
a  little  bit  ;  it  does  not  take  a  college  education 
to  learn  how  to  wash  clothes." 

I  agreed  with  the  "  Kid  "  that,  though  clean 
liness  was  next  to  Godliness,  cleanliness,  like 
Godliness,  was  often  a  difficult  virtue  to  acquire. 
We  found  it  almost  impossible  to  be  cleanly 
without  the  aid  of  fresh  water,  so  the  schemes 
devised  to  avoid  the  executive's  order  and  get  it 
were  many  and  ingenious. 

One  man  would  go  to  the  ship's  galley,  where 
the  fresh  water  hand-pump  was,  and,  without 
further  ado,  begin  to  fill  his  bucket,  remarking, 
if  the  cook  attempted  to  interfere,  that  he  had  to 
scrub  paint  work  or  he  had  orders  from  the  doc 
tor  to  bathe  in  fresh  water.  These  excuses 
would  be  successful  till  too  many  men  came  in 
with  buckets  and  plausible  excuses,  when  the 
37 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

cook  would  shut  down  on  the  scheme  for  the 
time.  The  man  with  fresh  water  was  the  envy 
of  his  fellows,  and  must  needs  be  vigilant,  or 
bucket  and  water  would  disappear  mysteriously. 

The  "  Kid  "  happened  to  be  next  me  when 
"  stopping "  his  clothes  on  the  line,  and  re 
marked,  as  he  tied  the  last  knot  on  his  last 
jumper,  "  I  like  to  be  clean  as  the  next  chap,  but 
this  scrubbing  clothes  on  your  knees  is  no  snap." 

He  stopped  to  feel  them. 

"  Why,  I  can  feel  the  corns  growing  on  them 
already.  How  often  do  we  have  to  do  this  scrub 
bing  job,  anyhow?  "  he  asked. 

"  You  can  do  it  every  morning,  if  you  really 
feel  inclined,"  I  replied,  smiling  at  his  rueful 
countenance  ;  "  clothes  can  only  be  washed  dur 
ing  the  morning  watch  (four  to  eight),  I  under 
stand,  and,  as  the  starboard  men  are  on  duty  one 
day  during  that  time  and  the  port  watch  the 
next,  each  is  supposed  to  '  scrub  and  wash 
clothes  '  in  their  own  watch.  See?  " 

The  "  Kid  "  looked  up  at  the  dripping  line 
of  rather  dingy  clothes,  then  down  at  his  red  and 
soapy  knees,  and  said,  as  he  turned  to  go  aft, 
"  Well,  when  we  get  back  to  New  York,  I  am 
going  to  have  a  suit  of  whites  made  of  celluloid 
that  can  be  washed  with  a  sponge." 

At  6:30  the  order  "knock  off  scrubbing 
38 


THE    '  KID  '   HAPPENED    TO    BE    NEXT    ME   WHEN    '  STOP 
PING  '  CLOTHES  ON  THE  LINE  "  (page  38). 


"THE  SIX-POUNDERS  ON  THE  SPAR  DECK  BEGAN  TO  BARK  " 

(page  47). 


THE  "  YANKEE  "  CRUISES  FOR  PRIZES. 

clothes  "  was  given,  and  then  all  hands  of  the 
watch  "  turned  to  "  and  scrubbed  decks,  scoured 
the  gratings  and  companion-way  ladders  with 
sand  and  canvas,  brass  work  was  polished,  paint 
work  wiped  down,  and  everything  on  board 
made  as  spick  and  span  as  a  new  dollar. 

A  vast  quantity  of  water  is  brought  from  over 
the  side  through  the  ship's  pump,  and  the  men 
work  in  their  bare  feet.  In  fact,  the  usual  cos 
tume  during  this  period  of  the  day  consists  of  a 
pair  of  duck  trousers  and  a  thin  shirt.  On 
special  occasions  even  the  shirt  is  dispensed 
with.  During  warm  weather  it  is  delightful  to 
splash  around  a  water-soaked  deck,  but  there  are 
mornings  when  a  biting  wind  conies  from  the 
north,  and  the  keenness  of  winter  is  in  the  air, 
and  then  Jackie,  compelled  to  labor  up  to  his 
knees  in  water,  casts  longing  glances  toward  the 
glow  of  the  galley  fire,  and  makes  his  semi- 
yearly  vow  that  he  will  leave  the  "  blooming  " 
service  for  good  and  go  on  a  farm. 

This  scrubbing  of  decks  and  scouring  of  lad 
ders  put  an  extra  edge  on  our  appetites,  so 
we  agreed  with  "  Stump  "  when  he  said,  "  I  feel 
as  if  I  could  put  a  whole  bumboat  load  of 
stuff  out  of  commission  all  by  my  lonely." 
"  Stump's  "  appetite  was  out  of  proportion  to 
his  size. 

39 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

When  the  boatswain's  mate  gave  his  peculiar 
long,  quavering  pipe  and  the  order  "  spread  mess 
gear  for  the  watch  below,"  at  7:20,  we  of  the 
watch  on  deck  realized  that  there  was  still  forty 
minutes  to  wait.  Every  man's  hunger  seemed 
to  increase  tenfold,  so  that  even  the  odor  of  boil 
ing  "  salt-horse  "  from  the  galley  did  not  trouble 
us. 

Finally  the  order  came,  "  on  deck  all  the  star 
board  watch "  ;  followed  by  the  boatswain's 
mess  call  for  the  watch  on  deck.  The  scramble 
to  get  below  and  to  work  with  knife,  fork,  and 
spoon  resembled  a  fire  panic  at  a  theatre.  It  is 
first  come  first  served  aboard  ship,  and  the  man 
who  lingers  often  gets  left. 

The  gun  deck  of  the  "  Yankee,"  like  the 
gun  deck  of  most  war  vessels,  is  Jack's  living 
room.  Here  he  sleeps,  in  what  he  facetiously 
calls  his  folding-bed,  which  is  swung  from 
the  deck  beams  above;  here  he  enjoys  the 
various  amusements  that  an  ordinary  citizen 
would  call  work;  here  he  goes  through  his  drills; 
here  he  fights,  not  his  shipmates,  but  his  coun 
try's  enemies,  and  here  he  eats. 

The  remark,  "  he  spread  his  legs  luxuriously 

under  the  mahogany,"  would  hardly  apply  to 

Jack's  mode  of  dining.     His  table  is  a  swinging 

affair  that  is  hung  on  the  hammock  hooks — a 

40 


THE    "  YANKEE  "    CRUISES   FOR   PRIZES. 

mere  board  a  couple  of  feet  wide  and  twelve  or 
fourteen  feet  long,  having  a  ridge  around  the 
edge  to  keep  the  plates  from  sliding  off  in  a  sea 
way.  Jack's  dining  chairs  are  called  "  mess 
benches,"  and  consist  of  a  long  folding  bench 
that  with  the  table  can  be  stowed  away  in  racks 
overhead  when  not  in  use.  A  mess  chest  for 
each  mess,  an  enamelled  iron  plate  and  cup, 
and  a  knife,  fork,  and  spoon  for  each  man  com 
plete  the  "  mess  gear  "  outfit. 

The  ship's  company  is  divided  into  messes, 
each  man  being  assigned  to  a  certain  mess  at  the 
same  time  his  billet  number  or  ship's  number  is 
given  to  him.  There  are  from  fifteen  to  thirty 
men  in  a  mess.  Each  has  its  own  "  berth-deck 
cook,"  who  prepares  the  food  for  the  galley; 
each,  too,  has  a  mess  caterer,  or  striker,  whose 
business  it  is  to  help  the  mess  cook  and  see  that 
all  goes  well.  The  caterer  is  a  volunteer  from 
the  mess,  and  generally  serves  for  a  week,  when 
another  volunteer  takes  his  place.  If  the  quan 
tity  or  quality  of  the  food  is  not  up  to  expecta 
tions,  it  would  be  better  for  the  caterer  that  he 
be  put  down  in  the  "  brig  "  out  of  harm's  way, 
for  Jack  is  apt  to  speak  his  mind  in  vigorous 
English,  and  his  mind  and  stomach  have  gen 
erally  formed  a  close  alliance. 

The  twenty  minutes  allowed  for  meals  are 
41 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

well  spent,  and  the  clatter  of  knives  and  forks 
attests  the  zest  with  which  Uncle  Sam's  man-o'- 
war's-man  tackles  his  not  always  too  nice  or  deli 
cate  fare.  The  nine  dollars  a  month  allowed  by 
the  navy  for  rations  is  expended  by  the  pay 
master  of  the  vessel,  not  by  the  men,  so,  if  the 
paymaster  concludes  that  the  men  shall  have 
"salt-horse,"  rice,  and  hard-tack,  Jack  gets  "salt- 
horse,"  rice,  and  hard-tack,  and  that  is  all  he 
does  get  unless  his  mess  cook  and  caterer  are 
unusually  prudent  and  save  something  from 
the  previous  day's  rations,  or  the  mess  has  put 
up  some  extra  money  and  has  "  private  stores." 

As  the  man  with  the  biggest  appetite  or  the 
fellow  who  eats  slowly  are  putting  away  the  last 
morsel  of  cracker  hash  or  the  last  swallow  of  cof 
fee,  "  Jimmy  Legs  "  (the  master-at-arms)  comes 
around,  shouting  as  he  goes,  "  Shake  a  leg  there, 
we  want  to  get  this  deck  cleared  for  quarters." 
He  is  often  followed  by  the  boatswain's  mate  of 
the  watch,  who  echoes  his  call,  and  between 
them  they  clear  the  deck.  Then  begins  the  real 
work  of  the  day. 


42 


CHAPTER   IV. 

WE   GET   OKDEBS   TO   GO    SOUTH. 

Shortly  after  breakfast  the  "  Yankee  "  came 
to  anchor  outside  of  Provincetown,  Mass.  An 
hour  later  a  large  man-of-war  was  discovered 
steaming  toward  us.  Rumors  were  rife  at  once, 
and  the  excitement  increased  when  the  vessel, 
which  proved  to  be  the  gallant  cruiser  "  Colum 
bia,"  passed  close  alongside,  and  the  captain  was 
observed  to  lean  over  the  bridge  railing  with  a 
megaphone  in  his  hands. 

"  '  Yankee  '  ahoy  !  "  came  across  the  water. 

"  Hello,  '  Columbia  !  '  "  replied  Captain 
Brownson. 

"  I  have  orders  for  you." 

"  Whoop  !  we  are  going  to  Cuba,"  cried 
young  Potter.  "  It's  dead  sure  this  time.  They 
can't  do  without  us  down — 

"  Silence  !  "  called  out  the  executive  officer, 
sternly.  "  Corporal  of  the  guard,  see  to  that 
man." 

Poor  Potter  is  sent  below  in  disgrace  amid  the 
43 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

chuckles  and  jeers  of  his  unsympathetic  ship 
mates.  The  little  episode  nearly  earned  him 
many  hours  of  extra  duty. 

In  the  meantime  the  "  Columbia's  "  captain 
had  communicated  the  welcome  intelligence  that 
we  were  to  cruise  to  the  southward  at  once  to 
look  for  several  suspicious  vessels  that  had  been 
sighted  in  the  vicinity  of  Barnegat.  This  prom 
ised  action  so  strongly  that  a  cheer  went  up  from 
the  crew.  This  time  even  the  officers  joined  in. 

Very  shortly  after  came  the  order  "  All 
hands  on  the  cat  falls,"  at  which  every  man  Jack 
came  running  forward.  The  blue-clothed  fig 
ures  poured  up  the  companion-ways  like  rats  out 
of  a  sinking  ship,  for  "all  hands  on  the  cat  falls" 
means  up  anchor,  and  up  anchor  meant  new  ex 
periences,  perhaps  a  brush  with  a  Spanish  man- 
of-war  or  the  capture  of  a  Spanish  prize.  The 
anchor  was  yanked  up  and  guided  into  place  on 
its  chocks  in  a  hurry,  and  soon  the  "  Yankee  " 
was  under  way  and  headed  southward.  As  we 
passed  the  "  Columbia,"  the  men  of  both  ships 
stood  at  attention,  feet  together,  hands  at  the 
side,  heads  up,  silent.  So  a  ship  is  saluted  in 
the  United  States  Navy,  a  ceremony  dignified 
and  impressive,  though  not  as  soul-stirring  as 
the  American  cheer. 

The  "Scuttle  Butt  Navigators,"  or,  as  the 
44 


WE  GET  ORDERS  TO  GO  SOUTH. 

"  Yankee  "  boys  called  them,  the  Rumor  Com 
mittee,  were  very  busy  that  bright  day  in  May. 
According  to  them  we  were  to  sail  seaward  and 
discover  Cervera's  fleet,  the  whereabouts  of 
which  was  then  unknown.  We  were  to  sail 
south  and  bombard  Havana.  The  older,  wiser 
heads  laughed  at  such  rumors,  and  said  it  was 
foolishness,  but  all  were  ready  and  anxious  to 
listen  to  the  wildest  tales. 

All  the  time  the  ship  was  getting  under  way 
the  routine  work  was  going  on.  The  sweepers 
had  obeyed  the  order  given  by  the  boatswain's 
mate,  accompanied  by  the  pipe  peculiar  to  that 
order,  "  Gun-deck  sweepers,  clean  sweep  fore 
and  aft;  sweepers,  clean  your  spit  kits." 

At  twenty  minutes  past  nine  the  bugle 
sounded  the  first  or  officers'  call  to  quarters,  a 
call  that  sounded  like  "  Get  your  sword  on,  get 
your  sword  on,  get  your  sword  on,  get  your 
sword  on,  get  your  sword  on  right  away  !  "  Ten 
minutes  later  came  "  assembly,"  and  the  men 
rushed  to  their  places  at  the  guns  and  their  sta 
tions  in  the  powder  divisions. 

After  our  division  had  been  mustered,  "  Long 
Tommy,"  the  boatswain's  mate  and  captain  of 
our  gun,  said  to  "  Hay,"  "  I  think  we'll  have 
some  shooting  to-day.  I  saw  the  gunners'  mates 
rigging  a  target." 

45 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   TI1E   "  YANKEE." 

"Good!"  said  "Hay,"  "what  does  it  look 
like?" 

"  Why,"  explained  Tommy,  "  it's  a  triangular 
sail,  having  a  black  spot  painted  in  the  middle, 
supported  by  a  raft,  also  triangular,  which  is 
floated  by  three  barrels,  one  at  each  corner." 

"  Can't  be  very  big,"  said  "  Stump." 

"  About  ten  feet  at  the  base,  tapering  to  a 
point.  The  red  flag  that  flies  from  the  top  is 
perhaps  fourteen  feet  from  the  water,  I  should 
say." 

"  And  they  expect  us  to  hit  that? "  broke  in 
"  Lucky  bag  Kennedy." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Tommy  the  confident,  "  and 
we  shall." 

As  soon  as  the  officers  of  the  different  divi 
sions  had  returned  from  the  bridge,  where  they 
had  been  to  report,  the  quick,  sharp  bugle  call 
which  summons  the  crew  to  general  quarters  was 
sounded. 

As  the  first  notes  were  heard,  the  men  scat 
tered  as  if  a  bomb  with  a  visible  burning  fuse 
had  fallen  in  their  midst.  Some  hurried  to  lead 
out  the  hose,  some  to  getN  the  gun  sights  and  fir 
ing  lanyards,  some  to  get  belts  and  revolvers  for 
the  guns'  crews,  some  down  into  the  hot,  dark 
magazines,  and  some  to  open  up  the  magazine 
hoists.  All  was  apparent  confusion,  but  was  in 
46 


WE  GET  ORDERS  TO  GO  SOUTH. 

reality  perfect  discipline.  Soon  boxes  of  shell 
were  ready  by  the  guns,  but  the  order  "  load  " 
had  not  yet  been  given. 

The  triangular  target  was  then  lowered  over 
the  side  and  cast  loose.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
six-pounders  on  the  spar  deck  began  to  bark. 
"  Getting  the  range,  I  guess,"  said  "  Hod,"  who 
had  sneaked  over  from  the  powder  division  to 
get  a  look  at  the  target. 

"  Pretty  near  it,"  replied  "  Stump,"  as  a  shot 
splashed  close  to  the  triangular  piece  of 
canvas. 

"Here  comes  Scully,"  some  one  whispered; 
"  now  we'll  have  a  chance." 

"  The  captain  says  fire  when  ready,  at  1,500 
yards,"  said  Scully,  saluting  Mr.  Greene,  the 
officer  of  the  division.  "  Captain  says,  sir,  in 
struct  your  men  to  shoot  at  the  top  of  the  roll, 
and  a  little  over,  rather  than  under  the  target," 
continued  he,  saluting  again. 

"  Port  battery  take  stations  for  exercise,  load, 
set  your  sights  at  1,500  yards,  and  when  ready, 
fire."  Mr.  Greene's  orders  came  sharp  and 
clear;  there  was  never  any  misunderstanding  of' 
them. 

Most  of  us  of  dumber  Eight's  gun  crew  had 
never  stood  near  a  big  gun  when  it  spoke,  and 
most  of  us  dreaded  it  and  felt  inclined  to  run 
47 


A    GUNNER   ABOARD    THE    "  YANKEE." 

away  out  of  ear-shot.  It  was  our  business  to 
stand  by,  however,  so  we  stood  by  while  Tommy, 
firing  lanyard  in  hand,  sighted  the  machine. 

"Eight!"  he  sung  out  to  "Stump"  and 
"  Flagg,"  who  were  at  the  training  wheels. 
"  Right  handsomely,"  added  Tommy,  working 
the  elevating  gear,  as  the  gun  moved  slowly 
round.  The  gun  roared  and  jumped  back  on 
its  mount  six  or  eight  inches,  but  promptly  slid 
back  again — forced  back  by  powerful  springs. 
The  shell  sped  on  its  way,  humming  as  it  went, 
and  struck  a  little  short  of  the  target,  sending  up 
a  great  fountain  as  it  was  exploded  by  the  impact 
with  the  water. 

"Hay"  pulled  the  breech  lever  and  the  breech 
plug  came  out,  allowing  "  Stump,"  who  wore 
heavy  gloves  for  the  purpose,  to  extract  the 
empty  shell.  This  he  dropped  in  the  concrete 
waterway,  then  ran  to  his  place  at  the  training 
wheel;  a  fresh  shell  had  been  put  in  the  gun, 
meanwhile,  and  it  was  ready  for  business  again. 
A  number  of  good  shots  were  made  by  different 
gunners.  Enough  to  show  that,  amateur  tars 
that  we  were,  there  was  the  making  of  good 
gunners  in  us.  As  the  "  Kid,"  in  his  over 
weening  confidence,  said,  "  Ain't  we  peaches? 
When  we  get  down  south  we  will  have  a  little 
target  practise,  and  the  '  dagos '  will  be  so 
48 


WE  GET  ORDERS  TO  GO  SOUTH. 

scared  that  they  will  haul  down  their  colors 
right  away." 

During  the  day  we  steamed  slowly  along, 
a  bright  lookout  being  kept  by  the  men  at  the 
foremast-head  for  suspicious  steamers.  After 
dinner  at  eight  bells  (12  o'clock),  the  smoking 
lamp,  which  hangs  near  the  scuttle  butt  aft,  was 
kept  lighted  about  fifteen  minutes.  Smoking 
is  allowed  aboard  only  when  the  smoking  lamp 
is  lighted,  and  as  "  Hay  "  was  wont  to  say,  it 
was  lighted  "  when  you  did  not  want  to  smoke." 
At  ten  minutes  past  one  "  turn  to  "  was  piped  by 
the  boatswain's  mates,  followed  by  the  call  for 
sweepers.  Then  came  the  order,  "  Stand  by 
your  scrub  and  wash  clothes."  So  the  "  Kid  " 
and  I  hastened  forward,  both  anxious  to  see  if 
our  initial  clothes-washing  venture  was  a  success. 
We  had  depended  on  the  sun  to  bleach  our  much 
be-scrubbed  clothes,  but — well — I  would  have 
left  them  where  they  were  if  I  could.  As  for 
the  "  Kid's  " — after  holding  them  off  at  arm's 
length  for  a  while,  he  remarked,  "  Why,  I  would 
not  use  such  rags  to  clean  my  bicycle  at  home," 
and  threw  them  overboard.  He  was  always  a 
reckless  chap. 

The  infantry  drill  we  had  at  afternoon  quar 
ters  at  1:30,  served  to  keep  us  busy.  The 
same  thing  had  been  gone  through  on  the  "  New 
4  49 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Hampshire  "  many  a  time  and  oft.  We  found 
it  rather  difficult  to  march  straight  and  keep  a 
good  line  on  a  swaying  deck.  So  we  were  kept 
at  it  until  we  had  got  the  hang  of  it.  We  were 
still  parading  to  and  fro  on  the  spar  deck,  when 
some  one  sighted  land  off  the  starboard  bow. 
The  dismissal  call  was  given  none  too  soon,  for 
the  curiosity  as  to  what  we  were  heading  for 
made  discipline  lax  and  attention  far  from  close. 

We  soon  learned  that  this  was  Block  Island. 

The  gig  was  lowered,  and  the  captain  and 
mail  orderly  went  ashore. 

"  Now  we'll  get  our  real  orders,"  said  Potter. 
"  Ho !  for  the  Spanish  main,"  he  shouted,  for 
getting  his  narrow  escape  of  the  day  before. 

"  It  will  be  Ho !  for  the  ship's  brig,  and  Ho ! 
for  five  days  on  bread  and  water,  if  you  don't 
look  out,"  said  "  Stump,"  dryly. 

About  dark,  the  gig  came  back  again,  bring 
ing  the  captain  in  it  and  the  mail  orderly — but 
no  mail,  and  how  we  did  long  for  a  word  from 
home.  A  scrap  of  newspaper,  even,  would  be 
a  blessing. 

We  had  just  sat  down  to  evening  mess  when 
the  order,  "All  hands  on  the  gig  falls!  "  was 
given,  and  the  master-at-arms  chased  us  off  the 
gun  deck.  Soon  the  measured  tread  of  many 
feet  could  be  heard,  and  then  the  order  was 
50 


"THE  GIG  WAS  LOWERED"  (page  50). 


"THE  MEN  ON  THE  STAGES"  (page  78). 


WE  GET  ORDERS  TO  GO  SOUTH. 

given  by  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  the  coxswain 
of  the  gig,  "  Secure  your  boat  for  sea." 

So  we  were  to  go  off  again.     Where? 

Within  a  short  time  we  were  under  way 
again.  The  usual  watches  were  set,  but  very 
few  of  the  boys  went  below.  The  mere  rumor 
that  the  enemy  was  prowling  along  the  coast  was 
enough  to  prevent  sleep.  My  watch  went  on 
duty  at  four  o'clock.  We  were  not  called  in  the 
usual  way,  by  the  boatswain's  whistle,  but  each 
man  was  roused  separately.  This  in  itself  was 
sufficient  to  lend  an  air  of  intense  interest  to  the 
scene. 

On  reaching  the  deck  I  found  that  the  night 
had  grown  stormy.  A  chill  wind  was  blowing 
off  the  coast,  rendering  pea  coats  and  watch  caps 
extremely  comfortable.  A  fine  rain  began  to 
fall  shortly  after  four,  and  by  the  time  I  had 
taken  my  post  forward  as  a  lookout  it  had  in 
creased  to  a  regular  squall. 

The  "  Yankee  "  was  a  splendid  sea  boat,  but 
in  the  course  of  an  hour  the  choppy  waves 
kicked  up  by  the  storm  set  her  to  bobbing  about 
like  the  proverbial  cork.  The  gloom  of  the 
night  had  changed  to  a  blackness  that  made  it 
impossible  to  see  an  arm's  length  away.  Stand 
ing  on  the  starboard  bridge,  I  could  scarcely 
distinguish  the  faint  white  foam  gathered  under 
51 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

the  forefoot.  Aft  there  was  nothing  visible 
save  a  length  of  stay  which  seemingly  began  at 
nothing  and  ended  in  darkness. 

The  howling  of  the  wind  through  the  taut 
cordage  of  the  foremast,  the  sullen  plunging  of 
the  ship's  hull  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  the  rise 
to  a  wave  crest  and  the  poising  there  before  fall 
ing  once  more,  the  smell  of  the  dank  salt  air, 
and  the  occasional  spurt  of  spray  over  the  lean 
ing  bow,  all  made  a  scene  so  novel  to  me  that 
I  forgot  Spanish  ships  and  my  duty  and  stood 
almost  entranced. 

It  was  a  dereliction  for  which  I  was  to  suffer. 
In  the  midst  of  my  reverie  a  hand  was  suddenly 
placed  upon  my  shoulder  and  I  heard  a  familiar 
voice  exclaim  sternly: 

"  Lookout,  what  do  you  mean  by  sleeping  on 
post?  Why  did  you  not  report  that  light?  " 

It  was  Captain  Brownson! 

Asleep  on  post!  The  accusation  was  grave 
enough  to  startle  me,  and  I  lost  no  time  in  stam 
mering  a  denial.  Luckily,  the  discovery  of  the 
strange  light,  which  was  just  faintly  visible  dead 
ahead,  occupied  the  commander's  attention  for 
the  moment  and  I  escaped  further  rebuke. 

Captain  Brownson  hurried  to  the  bridge  and 
presently  word  was  passed  to  go  to  quarters  at 
once.  The  ports  were  opened,  ammunition 
52 


WE  GET  ORDERS  TO  00  SOUTH. 

made  ready  for  both  the  main  and  secondary 
batteries,  and  the  crew  stood  at  their  guns  in 
readiness  for  action.  It  was  a  very  impressive 
sight,  the  grim  weapons  just  showing  in  the  dim 
lantern  light,  the  great  cartridges  standing  close 
to  the  breeches,  the  men  quiet  and  steady,  their 
faces  showing  anxiety  but  perfect  self-control. 

I  was  proud  to  belong  to  such  a  crew,  for  the 
majority  thought  that  an  action  was  imminent, 
and  perhaps  a  superior  foe  to  be  fought,  yet 
there  was  no  sign  of  that  fear  which  is  supposed 
to  attack  the  novice  in  battle.  It  was  a  con 
vincing  proof  of  American  bravery  and  self- 
reliance. 

In  the  meantime  the  engines  had  been  called 
on  for  full  speed,  and  the  ship  throbbed  and 
swayed  with  the  increased  power.  Extra  men 
were  presently  sent  below  to  the  fire  room,  and 
it  soon  became  evident  that  we  were  in  actual 
chase  of  the  suspicious  vessel.  From  my  station 
at  the  after  port  gun  I  was  enabled  to  catch  an 
occasional  glimpse  of  the  sea  through  the  open 
port. 

The  squall  had  passed  in  part  and  the  night 
was  growing  lighter.  The  rain  still  fell,  though 
fitfully,  and  at  times  a  dash  of  water  entered 
the  portf,  besprinkling  gun  and  crew  and  fighting 
tackle,  leaving  great  drops  that  glistened  like 
53 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

dew  in  the  waning  light  of  the  lanterns.    Along 
side,  white-capped  waves  raced  with  the  ship. 

As  the  gloom  lightened,  the  horizon  spread, 
and  presently,  away  in  the  distance,  a  dark  spot, 
like  a  smudge  upon  a  gray  background,  became 
visible.  "  Long  Tommy,"  attached  to  my  gun, 
leaned  far  out  of  the  port  with  an  exclamation 
of  excitement. 

"  By  George!  it's  another  ship,"  he  added. 

"We  are  in  a  nest  of  the  Dagoes,"  cried  young 
Potter,  rather  wildly.  "  We  have  run  into  an 
ambuscade." 

"  You've  got  a  great  chance  to  become  a  dead 
hero,"  remarked  the  first  gun  captain  dryly. 

Word  was  passed  from  above  to  break  out 
more  shell,  and  presently  the  navigator  slipped 
down  the  ladder  and  made  a  close  inspection  of 
the  different  five-inch  guns.  As  he  went  from 
crew  to  crew  he  gave  whispered  instructions  to 
the  officers  in  charge. 

"  The  old  man  expects  trouble  this  trip," 
whispered  Tommy.  He  coolly  stripped  off  his 
shirt  and  stood,  half-naked,  the  muscles  of  his 
athletic  chest  and  arms  gleaming  like  white 
marble  in  the  uncertain  light.  Most  of  us  fol 
lowed  his  example,  and  the  spectacle  of  the 
swaying  groups  of  men,  bared  for  action,  added 
a  dramatic  tinge  to  the  scene. 
54 


WE  GET  ORDERS  TO  GO  SOUTH. 

Below,  the  powerful  engines  throbbed  with  a 
pulsation  that  set  every  bolt  and  joint  creaking, 
the  strident  echoes  of  the  firemen's  shovels  could 
he  heard  scraping  against  the  iron  floor,  and  little 
whistlings  of  steam  came  like  higher  notes  in 
the  general  tune.  Even  the  noises  of  the  ship 
were  strange  and  weird  and  impressive. 

The  crews  had  been  standing  in  readiness  at 
their  stations  for  almost  an  hour  when  it  sud 
denly  became  noticeable  that  the  darkness  of 
night  was  giving  way  before  a  gradual  dawn. 
The  glimmering  flame  in  the  lanterns  faded  and 
waned,  objects  buried  in  gloom  began  to  assume 
shape,  and  the  edges  of  the  open  ports  grew 
sharp  and  more  defined.  Constant  waiting 
brought  a  relaxation  of  discipline,  and  the  mem 
bers  of  the  different  crews  grouped  about  the 
ports  and  eagerly  searched  for  the  chase. 

The  smudge  on  the  horizon  had  long  since 
disappeared,  but  directly  ahead  could  be  seen  the 
faint  outlines  of  a  steamer.  A  dense  cloud  of 
smoke  was  pouring  from  her  funnel,  and  it  was 
plainly  apparent  that  she  was  making  every 
effort  to  escape.  This  in  itself  was  enough  to 
stamp  her  identity,  and  we  shook  our  clenched 
fists  exultantly  after  her. 

The  night  broke  rapidly.  In  the  east  a  rosy 
tinge  proclaimed  the  coming  sun.  Just  as  the 
55 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD    THE   "  YANKEE." 

first  glitter  of  the  fiery  rim  appeared  above  the 
horizon,  a  gray,  damp  mist  swept  across  the 
water,  coming  like  an  impenetrable  wall  between 
the  "  Yankee  "  and  the  chase. 


56 


CHAPTEE   Y. 

A   WILD   GOOSE   CHASE. 

A  howl  of  disappointment  went  up  from  the 
crew. 

"  Oh,  if  she  was  only  within  range,"  cried 
"  Hay,"  smiting  the  breech  of  the  five-inch  rifle 
with  his  hand.  "  Just  one  shot,  just  one 
shot." 

"  Guns'  crews  will  remain  at  stations,"  or 
dered  the  first  lieutenant  from  near  the  ladder. 
"  Stand  by,  men.  Be  ready  for  instant  action." 

"Hurray!  the  old  man  won't  give  it  up," 
cheered  "  Stump,"  under  his  voice.  "  That's 
the  stuff.  Now,  if  only  that  measly  fog  lifts 
and  we  get  a  trifle  nearer,  we'll  do  something 
for  the  old  flag." 

The  minutes  passed  slowly.  It  was  heart 
breaking  work,  this  waiting  and  watching,  and 
there  was  not  one  of  the  "  Yankee's  "  crew  but 
would  have  given  a  year's  pay  to  have  seen  the 
mist  lift  long  enough  to  bring  us  within  range. 

Suddenly,  just  as  the  fervent  wish  was 
57 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

trembling  on  our  lips,  "  Hod  Marsh,"  who  was 
near  the  port,  cried  out  joyfully: 

"  She's  fading,  fellows,  she's  fading!  " 

Like  a  theatre  curtain  being  slowly  raised,  the 
mist  lifted  from  the  surface  of  the  water.  Little 
by  little  the  expanse  of  ocean  became  visible, 
and  at  last  we,  who  were  watching  eagerly,  saw 
the  hull  of  a  steamer  appear,  followed  by  masts 
and  stack  and  upper  rigging.  An  exclamation 
of  bitter  disappointment  came  from  Tommy. 
"  Durned  if  it  ain't  an  old  tramp !  "  he  groaned. 
"  Fellows,  we  are  sold." 

And  so  it  proved. 

The  fog  lifted  completely  in  the  course  of  an 
hour  and  we  secured  a  good  view  of  our  "  will  o' 
the  wisp  "  of  the  night's  chase.  It  was  a  great 
lumbering  tramp,  as  high  out  of  the  water  as 
a  barn,  and  as  weather-stained  as  a  homeward- 
bound  whaler.  She  slouched  along  like  a  crab, 
each  roll  of  the  hull  showing  streaks  of  marine 
grass  and  barnacles.  There  was  little  of  man-o'- 
war  "  smartness  "  in  her  make-up,  of  a  verity. 

For  several  days  the  "  Yankee  "  cruised  up 
and  down  the  coast  between  Delaware  Break 
water  and  Block  Island.  Many  vessels  were 
sighted,  and  on  two  occasions  it  was  considered 
expedient  to  sound  "  general  quarters,"  but 
nothing  came  of  it.  We  finally  concluded  that 
58 


A   WILD   GOOSE   CHASE. 

the  enemy  were  fighting  shy  of  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  and  all  began  to  long  for  orders  to 
the  southward. 

Drill  followed  drill  during  these  waiting  days. 
Target  practice  was  held  whenever  practicable, 
and  the  different  guns'  crews  began  to  feel  fa 
miliar  with  the  rapid-fire  rifles. 

The  men,  accustomed  to  a  life  of  ease  and 
plenty,  found  this  first  month's  work  an  experi 
ence  of  unparalleled  hardship. 

Their  hands,  better  fitted  for  the  grasp  of  pen 
and  pencil,  were  made  sore  and  stiff  by  the 
handling  of  hawsers,  chains,  and  heavy  cases. 
Bandages  on  hands,  feet,  and,  in  some  cases, 
heads,  were  the  popular  form  of  adornment,  and 
the  man  who  did  not  have  some  part  of  his 
anatomy  decorated  in  this  way  was  looked  upon 
as  a  "  sloper,"  or  one  who  ran  away  from 
work.  For  how  could  any  one  do  his  share 
without  getting  a  finger  jammed  or  a  toe 
crushed  ? 

The  work  that  was  done,  too,  during  this 
month  of  cruising  along  the  coasts  of  Long  Isl 
and  and  New  Jersey  was  hard  and  incessant. 
Drills  of  all  kinds  were  frequent,  and  sleep  at  a 
premium. 

The  "  Yankee  "  at  this  time  was  attached  to 
the  Northern  Patrol  Fleet,  of  which  Commodore 
59 


A   OUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Howell  was  the  commander.  It  was  her  busi 
ness  to  cruise  along  the  coast  from  Block  Island 
south  to  Delaware  Breakwater,  and  watch  for 
suspicious  vessels.  This  duty  made  constant 
movement  necessary,  and  unwearying  vigilance 
on  the  part  of  the  lookouts  imperative. 

Rainy,  foggy  weather  was  the  rule,  and 
"  oilers  "  and  rubber  boots  the  prevailing  fashion 
in  overclothing.  Sea  watches  were  kept  night 
and  day;  half  of  the  crew  being  on  duty  all  the 
time,  and  one  watch  relieving  the  other  every 
four  hours. 

The  watch  "  on  deck  "  or  on  duty  on  a  stormy 
night  found  it  very  tedious  waiting  for  the 
"  watch  below  "  to  come  and  relieve  them.  The 
man  who  could  tell  a  story  or  sing  a  song  was  in 
great  demand,  and  the  man  who  could  get  up 
a  "  Yankee  "  song  was  a  popular  hero.  The 
night  after  our  wild  goose  chase,  described  in  the 
last  chapter,  the  port  watch  had  the  "  long 
watch  "  ;  that  is,  the  watch  from  8  p.m.  to  mid 
night,  and  from  four  to  eight  the  next  morning 
— which  allowed  but  four  hour's  sleep. 

It  was  raining  and  the  decks  were  wet  and 
slippery.  The  water  dripped  off  the  rims  of 
our  sou'westers  in  dismal  fashion,  and  the  fog 
hung  like  a  blanket  around  the  ship,  while  the 
sea  lapped  her  sides  unseen.  Our  fog-horn 
60 


A    WILD    GOOSE    CHASE. 

tooted  at  intervals,  and  everything  was  as  damp, 
dark,  and  forlorn  as  could  be. 

A  knot  of  men  were  gathered  under  the  lee 
of  the  after  deckhouse,  huddled  together  for 
warmth  and  companionship.  There  was 
"Stump,"  "Bill,"  Potter,  and  a  number  of 
others. 

"Say!  can't  any  one  sing,  or  tell  a  yarn,  or 
whistle  a  tune,  or  dance  a  jig?  "  said  "  Bill  "  in  a 
muffled  tone.  "  If  some  one  does  not  start  some 
kind  of  excitement  I  will  go  to  sleep  in  my 
tracks,  and  Doctor  '  Gangway '  says  I  mustn't 
sleep  out  of  doors."  His  speech  ended  in  a  fit 
of  coughing  and  a  succession  of  sneezes. 

"  Here,  '  Morse,'  give  us  that  new  song  of 
yours,"  said  "  Steve,"  as  another  oilskinned 
figure  joined  the  group.  "  Morse  "  and  "  Steve  " 
were  our  chief  song  writers.  Each  sat  on  a 
quarter  six-pounder,  one  on  the  starboard,  the 
other  on  the  port.  "  I  will,  if  you  chaps  will 
join  in  the  chorus,"  answered  "  Morse."  "  No, 
thank  you,"  he  added,  as  some  one  handed  him 
an  imaginary  glass.  "  Nature  has  wet  my 
whistle  pretty  thoroughly  to-night."  "  Stump," 
in  his  most  impressive  manner,  stepped  forward, 
and  in  true  mas ter-of -ceremonies  style  intro 
duced  our  entertainer.  He  was  enlarging  on 
the  undoubted  merits  of  the  composer  and  singer, 
61 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

and  had  waxed  really  eloquent,  when  a  strong 
gust  of  wind  blew  the  water  that  lodged  in  the 
awning  squarely  down  his  neck.  This  damp 
ened  his  ardor  but  not  our  spirits. 

"  Morse,"  like  the  good  fellow  he  was,  got  up 
and  sang  this  song  to  the  tune  of  "  Billy  Magee 
Magaw  "  : 

When  the  "  Yankee  "  goes  sailing  home  again, 

Hurrah !  Hurrah ! 
We'll  forget  that  we're  "  Heroes  "  and  just  be  men, 

Hurrah!  Hurrah! 

The  girls  will  giggle,  the  boys  will  shout, 
We'll  all  get  a  bath  and  be  washed  out, 
And  we'll  all  feel  gay  when 
The  "  Yankee  "  goes  sailing  home. 

The  city  bells  will  peal  for  joy, 

Hurrah!  Hurrah! 
To  welcome  home  each  wandering  boy, 

Hurrah!  Hurrah! 

And  all  our  sisters  and  cousins  and  girls 
Will  say  "  Ain't  they  darlings  ? "  and  "  See  the  pearls!  " 
So  we'll  all  feel  gay  when 
The  "Yankee  "  goes  sailing  home. 

Our  patrolling  cruise  will  soon  be  o'er, 

Hurrah!  Hurrah! 
We'll  be  happy  the  moment  our  feet  touch  shore, 

Hurrah !  Hurrah ! 

And  "  Cutlets  "  and  "  Hubbub  "  and  all  the  rest 
May  stick  to  the  calling  they're  fitted  for  best, 
But  we'll  all  feel  gay  when 
The  "  Yankee  "  goes  sailing  home. 


A   WILD    GOOSE   CHASE. 

Even  "  Bill  "  was  able  to  find  voice  enough  to 
shout  "  Good!  "  and  give  "  Morse  "  a  resound 
ing  slap  on  his  wet  oilskinned  shoulder.  The 
song  voiced  our  sentiments  exactly,  and  cheered 
us  a  lot.  None  of  us  believed  that  "  Our  patrol 
ling  cruise  would  soon  be  o'er,"  however,  and 
hardly  a  man  would  have  taken  his  discharge 
had  it  been  offered  to  him  that  moment.  We 
had  put  our  names  to  the  enlistment  papers  and 
had  promised  to  serve  Uncle  Sam  on  his  ship  the 
"  Yankee  "  faithfully.  We  had  gone  into  this 
thing  together,  and  we  would  see  it  through 
together.  Still  we  would  "  All  feel  gay  when 
the  '  Yankee  '  goes  sailing  home." 

"  That  reminds  me  of  a  story,"  began  Pot 
ter,  when  "  Long  Tommy,"  the  boatswain's 
mate  of  the  watch,  interrupted  with,  "  Potter, 
take  the  starboard  bridge.  I  will  send  a  man 
to  relieve  you  at  the  end  of  an  hour."  So  Pot 
ter  went  forward  to  relieve  his  mate,  who  had 
stood  an  hour  of  lookout  duty  on  the  starboard 
end  of  the  bridge. 

He  went  forward,  swaying  with  the  motion  of 
the  ship,  his  oilskin  trousers  making  a  queer, 
grating  noise  as  one  leg  rubbed  against  the  other, 
and  "  Stump  "  said,  "  I'll  bet  he  won't  stay  with 
us  long;  he  talks  too  much."  A  prophetic  re 
mark,  as  future  events  proved. 
63 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

The  group  broke  up  after  this.  Some  who 
were  not  actually  on  lookout  duty  went  into  the 
hot  fire  room,  and  after  taking  off  their  outer^ 
clothing,  tried  to  snatch  a  few  winks  of  sleep. 
The  "  watch  on  deck  "  was  not  allowed  to  go 
below  at  night,  so  the  only  shelter  allowed  us 
was  the  fire  room  and  the  main  companion-way. 
The  latter  could  hold  but  a  few  men,  and  the 
only  alternative  was  the  fire  or  "  drum  "  room, 
into  which  the  heat  and  gas  from  the  furnaces 
ascended  from  the  bowels  of  the  ship,  making 
it  impossible  for  a  man  to  breathe  the  atmos 
phere  there  for  more  than  half  an  hour  at  a  time. 
The  after  wheel-house  was  sometimes  taken  ad 
vantage  of  by  the  more  venturesome  of  the 
boys,  but  the  risk  was  great,  for  "  Cutlets  "  was 
continually  prowling  around,  and  the  man  found 
taking  shelter  there  would  receive  tongue  lash 
ings  hard  to  bear,  with  abuse  entirely  out  of 
proportion  to  the  offence. 

A  little  before  twelve  o'clock  we  heard  the 
boatswain's  pipe,  and  the  long  drawn  shout,  "  On 
deck  all  the  starboard  watch,"  and  "  All  the  star 
board  watch  to  muster."  So  we  knew  that  we 
would  soon  be  relieved,  and  would  be  able  to 
take  the  much-needed  four  hours'  sleep  in  our 
"  sleeping  bags,"  as  "  Hay  "  called  them.  The 
starboard  men  came  slowly  up,  rubbing  their 


A   WILD   GOOSE   CHASE. 

eyes,  buttoning  their  oilskins,  and  tying  their 
sou'westers  on  by  a  string  under  their  chins 
as  they  walked. 

"  Hurry  up  there,  will  you? "  calls  out  a  port 
watch  man,  as  the  men  of  the  other  watch 
sleepily  climb  the  ladder.  "  Get  a  move  on  and 
give  us  a  chance  to  get  out  of  this  beastly  wet." 
A  sharp  retort  is  given,  and  the  men  move  on 
in  the  same  leisurely  way.  The  men  of  both 
watches  are  hardly  in  the  best  of  humors.  It  is 
not  pleasant  to  be  waked  up  at  midnight  to  stand 
a  four  hours'  watch  in  the  rain  and  fog,  nor  is 
it  the  most  enjoyable  thing  in  life  to  be  delayed, 
after  standing  a  four  hours'  watch  in  the  rain, 
realizing  all  the  time  that  each  minute  of  wait 
ing  takes  that  precious  time  from  the  scant  four 
hours'  sleep. 

But  finally  "  all  the  watch  "  is  piped,  and  we 
go  below  and  flop  into  our  hammocks,  to  sleep 
as  soundly  and  dreamlessly  as  babies.  A  sailor 
will  sleep  like  a  dead  man  through  all  kinds  of 
noises  and  calls,  but  the  minute  his  own  watch 
is  called  he  is  wide  awake  in  an  instant,  from 
sheer  force  of  habit. 

So  when  the  boatswain's  mate  went  around 

with  his  pipe,  singing  out  as  he  dodged  in  and 

out  among  the  swinging  hammocks,  "  On  deck 

all  the  port  watch,"  each  of  us  jumped  out  of 

4  65 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

his  swaying  bed  and  began  to  climb  into  his 
damp  clothes  and  stiff  "  oilers."  We  then  made 
our  way  through  the  darkness,  often  bumping 
our  heads  on  the  bottom  of  hammocks,  and  earn 
ing  sleepy  but  strongly  worded  rebukes  from  the 
occupants;  colliding  with  stanchions,  and  stub 
bing  our  toes  on  ring  bolts  and  hatch  covers. 
All  arrived  at  length,  formed  an  unsteady  line 
on  the  forecastle  deck,  and  answered  to  our 
names  as  they  were  called  by  the  boatswain's 
mate.  So  began  another  day's  work  on  one  of 
Uncle  Sam's  ships. 

It  was  Sunday,  and  after  a  while  the  fog  lifted 
and  the  sun  came  out  strong  and  clear.  All 
the  men  who  were  off  duty  came  on  deck  to 
bask 'in  the  sun,  and  to  get  dried  and  thawed  out. 

"  Steve  "  poked  his  uncombed,  sleepy  head 
through  the  "  booby  "  hatch  cover.  "  Well,  this 
is  something  like !  If  the  '  old  man  '  will  let  us 
take  it  easy  after  inspection,  I  won't  think  life 
in  the  navy  is  so  bad  after  all." 

"  Well,  inspection  and  general  muster  and  the 
reading  of  the  ship's  bible  will  take  up  most  of 
the  morning,"  said  gunner's  mate  "  Patt,"  as  he 
emerged  from  the  hatch  after  "  Steve,"  wiping 
his  grimy  hands  on  a  wad  of  waste,  for  he  had 
been  giving  the  guns  a  rub.  "  And  if  we  don't 
have  to  go  chasing  an  imaginary  Spaniard  or 
66 


A.   WILD   GOOSE   CHASE. 

lug  coal  from  the  after  hold  forward,  we'll  be  in 
luck,"  he  continued. 

"  What  about  the  '  ship's  bible  '  ?  What  is 
'  general  muster  '  ?  "  queried  half  a  dozen  of  us. 

"  Why,"  said  "  Patt,"  "  the  ship's  bible  is  the 
book  of  rules  and  regulations  of  the  United 
States  Navy.  It  is  read  once  a  month  to  the 
officers  and  crew  of  every  ship  in  the  navy.  The 
officers  and  crew  will  be  mustered  aft — you'll 
see — the  deck  force  and  engineer  force  on  the 
port  side,  the  petty  officers  on  the  starboard  side 
forward,  the  commissioned  officers  on  the  star 
board  side  aft,  and  the  marines  athwartships  aft. 
This  forms  three  sides  to  a  square.  See?  " 

"  I  don't  see  the  use  of  all  this,"  broke  in  the 
irreverent  a  Kid."  "  Do  we  have  to  stand  there 
and  have  war  articles  fired  at  us?  " 

"  That's  what,  '  Kid,'  "  replied  "  Patt,"  good- 
naturedly. 

"  After  all  hands  have  taken  their  places," 
continued  our  informant,  "  the  i  old  man  '  will 
walk  down  the  galley  ladder  in  that  dignified 
way  of  his,  followed  by  the  executive  officer. 
1  Mother  Hubbub '  will  then  open  the  blue-cov 
ered  book  that  he  carries,  and  read  you  things 
that  will  make  your  hair  stand  on  end  and  cause 
you  to  consider  the  best  wording  for  your  last 
will  and  testament."  "  Patt  "  was  very  impres- 
67 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

sive,  and  we  stood  with  open  mouths  and  staring 
eyes. 

"  When  old  '  Hubbub  '  opens  the  book,  all 
hands,  even  the  captain,  will  take  off  their  hats 
and  stand  at  attention.  Then  the  war  articles 
will  be  read  to  you.  You  will  learn  that  there 
are  twenty-seven  or  more  offences  for  which  you 
are  liable  to  be  shot — such  as  sleeping  on  post, 
desertion,  disobedience,  wilful  waste  of  Govern 
ment  property,  and  so  forth;  you  will  be  told 
that  divine  service  is  recommended  whenever 
possible — in  short,  you  are  told  that  you  must 
be  good,  and  that  if  you  are  not  there  will  be 
the  deuce  to  pay.  Then  the  captain  will  turn 
to  '  Scully '  and  say,  i  Pipe  down,'  whereupon 
'  Scully  '  and  the  other  bosun's  mates  will  blow  a 
trill  on  their  pipes,  and  all  hands  will  go  about 
their  business." 

So  concluded  our  oracle. 

"  Gee  whiz!  "  said  the  "  Kid."  "  I  nearly  got 
into  trouble  the  other  night,  for  I  almost  dozed 
when  I  was  on  the  buoy.  I'm  not  used  to  get 
ting  along  on  eleven  hours'  sleep  in  forty-eight 
yet,"  he  added,  apologetically. 

We  all  looked  forward  to  "  general  muster  " 
with  a  good  deal  of  interest,  and  when  it  oc 
curred,  and  the  captain  had  inspected  our  per 
sons,  clothes,  the  ship,  and  mess  gear,  we  decided 


A   WILD   GOOSE   CHASE. 

that  "  Patt's "  description  fitted  exactly,  and 
were  duly  impressed  with  its  solemnity. 

We  found  to  our  sorrow  that  we  of  Number 
Eight's  crew  were  not  to  enjoy  sunshine  undis 
turbed,  but  were  soon  put  to  work  carrying  coal 
in  baskets  from  the  after  hold  forward,  and 
dumping  it  in  the  bunker  chutes. 

This  work  had  been  going  on  almost  every 
day,  and  all  day,  since  we  left  Tompkinsville. 
The  coal  was  in  the  after  hold  and  was  needed 
in  the  bunkers  forward,  so  every  piece  had  to  be 
shovelled  into  bushel  baskets,  hoisted  to  the  gun 
deck,  and  carried  by  hand  to  the  chute  leading 
to  the  port  and  starboard  bunkers.  A  dirty  job 
it  was,  that  not  only  blackened  the  men,  but 
covered  the  deck,  the  mess  gear,  the  paint  work, 
and  even  the  food,  with  coal  dust. 

Number  Eight's  crew  had  been  at  this  pleas 
ant  occupation  for  about  an  hour,  with  the  cheer 
ful  prospect  of  another  hour  of  the  same  diver 
sion.  "  Hay  "  was  running  the  steam  winch, 
"  Stump "  was  pulling  the  baskets  over  the 
hatch  coaming  as  they  were  hauled  up  by  the 
winch,  and  the  other  five  were  carrying. 

"  Say,  this  is  deadly  slow,  tiresome  work," 
said  "  Flagg,"  who  was  carrying  with  me.  "  I'd 
give  almost  anything  for  a  little  excitement." 

The  last  word  had  scarcely  been  uttered  when 
69 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

there  came  the  sounds  of  commotion  on  deck. 
A  voice  cried  out  in  sharp  command,  the  rudder 
chains  creaked  loudly,  the  ship  heeled  over  to 
starboard,  and  then  we  who  were  at  the  open 
port  saw  a  long,  snaky  object  shoot  out  from  the 
edge  of  the  haze  and  bear  down  upon  us. 

"  My  heaven!  "  shouted  "  Stump,"  "  it's  a  tor 
pedo  boat!  " 

The  commotion  on  deck  had  given  us  some 
warning,  but  the  sudden  dash  of  the  long,  snaky 
torpedo  boat  from  out  the  haze  came  as  a  decided 
shock.  For  one  brief  moment  we  of  the  after 
port  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone,  then  every  man 
ran  to  his  quarters  and  stood  ready  to  do  his 
duty.  With  a  cry,  our  second  captain  sprang  to 
the  firing  lanyard.  Before  he  could  grasp  it, 
however,  the  officer  of  the  division  was  at  his 
side. 

"Stop!  "  he  exclaimed  authoritatively. 

The  interruption  was  fortunate,  for,  just  then, 
a  swerve  of  the  oncoming  torpedo  boat  revealed 
a  small  flag  flying  from  the  taffrail  staff.  It 
was  the  American  ensign. 

The  reaction  was  great.  Forgetting  disci 
pline,  we  crowded  about  the  port  and  laughed 
and  cheered  like  a  lot  of  schoolboys.  Potter,  in 
his  joy  and  evident  relief,  sent  his  canvas  cap 
sailing  through  the  air.  A  rebuke,  not  very 
70 


A   WILD   GOOSE   CHASE. 

stern,  however,  came  from  the  lieutenant  in 
charge  of  the  division,  and  we  shuffled  back  to 
our  stations. 

"  Cricky!  what  a  sell,"  exclaimed  the  second 
rifleman,  grinning.  "  I  was  sure  we  had  a  big 
job  on  our  hands  this  time.  I'm  rather  glad  it 
is  one  of  our  fellows  after  all." 

"  I'm  not,"  spoke  up  young  Potter,  bluster- 
ingly.  "  "What  did  we  come  out  here  for,  hey? 
I  say  it's  a  confounded  shame.  We  might  have 
had  a  chance  to  send  one  of  the  Spaniards  to  the 
bottom." 

"  It  may  be  a  Dago  after  all,"  suggested 
"Bill,"  glancing  from  the  port.  "The  flag 
doesn't  mean  anything.  They  might  be  flying 
Old  Glory  as  a  ruse  de  guerre.  By  George! 
That  craft  looks  just  like  the  '  Pluton.'  " 

We,  who  were  watching,  saw  Potter's  face 
lengthen.  He  peered  nervously  at  the  rapidly 
approaching  torpedo  boat,  and  then  tried  to 
laugh  unconcernedly. 

"You  can't  'string'  me,"  he  retorted.  "  That's 
one  of  your  Uncle  Samuel's  boats  all  right.  See! 
they  are  going  to  hail  us." 

A  bell  clanged  in  the  engine  room,  then  the 

throbbing  of  the  machinery  slackened  to  a  slow 

pulsation.     The  rudder  chains  rattled  in  their 

fair-leaders,   and  presently  we  were   steaming 

71 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

along,  with  the  torpedo  craft  a  score  of  yards  off 
our  midships. 

On  the  forward  deck  of  the  latter  stood  two 
officers  clad  in  the  uniform  of  the  commissioned 
service.  One  placed  a  speaking  trumpet  to  his 
lips  and  called  out : 

"  Cruiser  ahoy!     Is  that  the  '  Yankee  '  ?  " 

"  You  have  made  a  good  guess,"  shouted  Cap 
tain  Brownson.  "  What  boat  is  that?  " 

" '  Talbot '  from  Newport.  Any  news? 
Sighted  you  and  thought  we  would  speak  you." 

Our  commander  assured  them  that  we  were  in 
search  of  news  ourselves.  The  "  Talbot's  "  offi 
cers  saluted  and  then  waved  a  farewell. 

The  narrow,  low-lying  craft  spun  about  in 
almost  her  own  length,  a  series  of  quick  puffs  of 
dense  black  smoke  came  from  the  funnels,  and 
then  the  haze  swallowed  up  the  whole  fabric. 

We  were  left  to  take  our  discomfiture  with 
what  philosophy  we  could  muster.  When  "se 
cure  "  was  sounded  we  left  our  guns  with  a  sense 
of  great  danger  averted  and  a  feeling  of  relief. 


72 


CHAPTEK   VI. 

WE   BECOME   COAL    HEAVERS. 

The  little  strip  of  North  American  coast  be 
tween  Delaware  Breakwater  and  Block  Island  is 
very  interesting,  and,  in  places,  beautiful.  The 
long  beaches  and  bare  sand  dunes  have  a  solemn 
beauty  all  their  own. 

Though  the  boys  on  the  "  Yankee  "  took  in 
and  appreciated  the  loveliness  of  this  bit  of 
coast,  they  were  getting  rather  familiar  with  it 
and  somewhat  bored.  They  longed  for  "  pas 
tures  new." 

Summer  had  almost  begun,  but  still  the  fog 
and  rain  held  sway.  The  ship  crept  through  the 
night  like  a  big  gray  ghost — dark,  swift,  and, 
except  in  the  densest  fogs,  silent.  Pea-coats 
were  an  absolute  necessity,  and  woolen  gloves 
would  have  been  a  great  comfort.  All  this  in 
the  blooming,  beautiful  month  of  May! 

One  bleak  morning  the  starboard  watch  was 
on  duty.  We  of  the  port  watch  had  turned  in 
at  four  (or,  according  to  ship's  time,  eight  bells). 
73 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   TEE   "YANKEE." 

We  were  glad  to  be  between  decks,  and  got 
under  way  for  the  land  of  Nod  without  delay. 
It  seemed  as  if  we  had  been  asleep  but  a  few 
minutes,  when  "Scully,"  chief  boatswain's  mate, 
came  down  the  gun  deck  gangway,  shouting  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  a  mile  away :  "  All  hands, 
up  all  hammocks;  "  then,  as  the  disposition  to 
get  up  was  not  very  evident,  "  Show  a  leg  there; 
ham  and  eggs  for  breakfast."  This  last  was  a 
little  pleasantry  that  never  materialized  into  the 
much-coveted  and  long  abstained  from  delicacy. 

The  hammocks  were  lashed  up  and  stowed 
away  in  the  "  nettings,"  as  the  lattice-like  recep 
tacles  are  called,  leaving  the  deck  clear  for  the 
work  of  the  day. 

Mess  gear  for  the  "  watch  below  "  had  just 
been  piped,  and  we  were  glad;  even  the  thought 
of  burnt  oatmeal  and  coffee  without  milk  was 
pleasant  to  us. 

The  ports  were  closed  and  the  gun  deck  was 
dark  and  dismal.  The  fog  oozed  in  through 
every  crack  and  cranny,  and  all  was  very  un 
pleasant. 

Of  a  sudden  there  was  a  sharp  reverberation 
that  sounded  so  much  like  the  report  of  a  big 
gun  that  all  hands  jumped. 

The  course  of  the  ship  was  changed,  and  the 
jingle  bell  sounded.  The  "  Yankee  "  forged  on 
74 


WE  BECOME   COAL  HEAVERS. 

at  full  speed  in  the  direction  from  which  the 
sound  had  come. 

We  all  stood  in  expectant  attitudes,  listening 
for  another  report.  We  had  about  made  up  our 
minds  that  our  ears  had  deceived  us,  when  an 
other  explosion,  louder  and  nearer  than  the  first, 
reached  us. 

On  we  rushed — toward  what  we  knew  not — 
through  a  fog  so  thick  that  the  water  could  be 
seen  but  dimly  from  the  spar  deck. 

The  suspense  was  hard  to  bear,  and  the  desire 
to  do  something  almost  irresistible.  The  men 
unconsciously  took  their  regular  stations  for 
action,  the  guns'  crews  gathered  round  their 
guns,  the  powder  divisions  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  ammunition  hoists. 

"  I  wish  Potter  was  here,"  said  "  Stump."  "  I 
rather  think  he  would  be  white  around  the  gills. 
This  sort  of  business  would  give  him  a  bad  case 
of  '  cold  feet.'  " 

"  Oh,  he  had  '  cold  feet '  a  few  days  after 
we  left  New  York,  and  wrote  to  his  friends  to 
get  his  discharge,"  said  "Bill."  "Got  it  and 
quit  two  weeks  after  we  left  New  York,  the 
duffer,"  added  "  Hay." 

The  "  Yankee  "  still  steamed  on  into  the  bank 
of  fog. 

"  Cupid,"  the  ship's  bugler,  began  to  play  the 
75 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

call  for  general  quarters,  but  was  stopped  by  a 
sharp  command  from  the  bridge. 

What  was  it  all  about?  Was  it  to  be  tragedy 
or  farce? 

Then  Scully  came  down  the  starboard  gang 
way,  a  broad  smile  on  his  ruddy  face. 

A  clamoring  group  gathered  round  him  in 
stantly.  "  What  is  it?  "  "  Is  the  '  old  man ' 
playing  a  joke  on  us?  "  "  Do  you  suppose  Cer- 
vera  has  got  over  to  this  side?"  "Scully," 
overwhelmed  with  questions,  put  up  his  hands 
protestingly. 

"'No,  no;  none  of  those  things,"  said  he. 
"  What  do  you  suppose  we  have  been  doing  for 
the  last  twenty  minutes?  " 

We  confessed  we  did  not  know. 

"  Chasing  thunder  claps — nothing  more  nor 
less  than  thunder  claps!  And  we'll  see  nothing 
worse  on  this  coast,"  he  added  sententiously,  as 
soon  as  he  could  get  his  breath. 

The  wind  rose,  and  while  it  blew  away  the 
fog  in  part,  it  kicked  up  a  nasty  sea,  in  which 
the  "  Yankee  "  wallowed  for  hours,  waiting  for 
the  fog  to  clear  enough  to  make  the  channel  and 
enter  New  York  harbor.  It  seemed  we  had  been 
heading  for  New  York,  and  we  did  not  know  it. 
It  was  not  the  custom  aboard  that  hooker  to  give 
the  men  any  information. 
76 


WE   BECOME   COAL   HEAVERS. 

When  we  learned  for  sure  that  we  were  bound 
for  New  York,  our  joy  was  beyond  measure. 

Shore  leave  was  the  chief  topic  of  conversa 
tion.  And  every  man  not  on  duty  went  down 
into  his  black  bag,  fished  out  his  clean  blues,  and 
set  to  work  sewing  on  watch  marks  and  cap 
ribbons.  For  Jack  must  be  neat  and  clean 
when  he  goes  ashore. 

The  mud-hook  was  dropped  in  the  bay  off 
Tompkinsville,  Thursday,  May  26th,  seventeen 
days  after  we  left  the  navy  yard.  It  seemed 
seventeen  months. 

An  "  anchor  watch  "  of  sixteen  men  was  set 
for  the  night,  and  most  of  us  turned  in  early  to 
enjoy  the  first  good  sleep  for  many  weary  days. 

All  hands  were  turned  out  at  five  o'clock. 
We  woke  to  find  a  big  coal  barge  on  either  side 
of  the  ship. 

After  breakfast  the  order  "  turn  to "  was 
given.  "  All  hands  coal  ship,  starboard  watch 
on  the  starboard  lighter,  port  watch  on  the  port 
lighter."  From  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning 
till  twelve  o'clock  that  night,  the  crew  of  the 
"  Yankee  " — aforetime  lawyers,  physicians,  lit 
erary  men,  brokers,  merchants,  students,  and 
clerks — men  who  had  never  done  any  harder 
work  than  play  football,  or  row  in  a  shell — 
coaled  ship  without  any  rest,  other  than  the 
77 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

three  half  hours  at  meal  times.  About  the  hard 
est,  dirtiest  work  a  man  could  do. 

The  navy  style  of  coaling  is  different  from 
that  customary  in  the  merchant  service.  In  the 
latter,  the  dirty  work  is  done  in  the  quickest, 
easiest  way  possible.  The  ship  is  taken  to  a  coal 
wharf  and  the  coal  is  slid  down  in  chutes,  or 
barges  are  run  alongside  and  great  buckets, 
hoisted  by  steam,  swing  the  black  lumps  into  the 
hold  or  bunker. 

The  navy  style,  as  practised  on  the  "  Yankee," 
was  quite  different.  The  barges  were  brought 
alongside,  the  men  divided  into  gangs — some  to 
go  in  the  hold  of  the  barge,  some  to  go  on  the 
platforms,  some  to  carry  on  the  ship  herself. 
The  barge  gang  shovelled  the  coal  into  bushel 
baskets;  these  were  carried  to  the  men  on  the 
stages;  and  the  latter  passed  them  from  one  to 
the  other,  to  the  gun  deck;  finally,  the  gang  on 
the  vessel  carried  the  baskets  to  the  bunker  holes, 
and  dumped  them,  ^he  ship  was  well  provided 
with  hoisting  machines,  but,  for  some  reason, 
this  help  was  not  permitted  us. 

It  was  a  long,  inexpressibly  dreary  day's  work, 
and  though  undertaken  cheerfully  and  with  less 
complaining  than  would  have  been  believed  pos 
sible,  the  drudgery  of  it  was  a  thing  not  easily 
forgotten.  Before  the  day  had  ended,  all  hope 
78 


WE  BECOME   COAL  HEAVERS. 

of  getting  ashore  was  lost,  for  we  were  told  that 
no  liberty  would  be  given. 

The  following  day  and  half  of  our  stay  in 
New  York  harbor  was  spent  in  the  same  way — 
shovelling,  lifting,  and  carrying  coal.  The  eyes 
of  many  of  us  were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of 
friends  and  relatives,  who  were  allowed  aboard 
when  mess  gear  was  piped,  and  put  off  when 
"  turn  to  "  sounded.  We  were  pleased  to  see 
our  friends,  but  our  friends,  on  the  contrary, 
seemed  shocked  to  see  us.  One  dainty  girl  came 
aboard,  and,  as  she  came  up  the  gangway,  asked 
for  a  forecastle  man.  The  word  was  passed  for 
him.  He  had  just  finished  his  stint  of  coaling, 
and  was  as  black  as  a  negro.  In  his  haste  to 
see  his  sister,  he  neglected  to  clean  up,  and  ap 
peared  before  her  in  his  coal  heaver's  make-up. 

"You,  Will?  I  won't  believe  it!  I  won't, 
I  won't,  I  won't!  "  And  for  a  second  she  cov 
ered  her  face  with  her  hands.  Then  she  picked 
o,ut  the  cleanest  spot  on  his  grimy  countenance 
and  kissed  him  there,  while  we  looked  on  in 
envy. 

The  "  Yankee  "  at  last  receiving  orders  to  sail 
for  the  front,  left  Tompkinsville  May  29th. 
We  passed  out  of  the  Narrows  with  a  feeling  of 
relief.  The  work  we  had  just  finished  was  the 
hardest  we  had  ever  experienced.  It  was  par- 
79 


A   OUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

ticularly  tantalizing  because  we  were  almost  in 
sight  of  our  homes,  but  could  not  visit  them. 
A  starving  man  suffers  more  from  hunger  if 
pleasant  food  is  placed  within  sight,  but  beyond 
his  reach. 

However,  we  were  to  go  to  the  front  at  last, 
and  we  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  being  really 
useful  to  our  country. 

The  following  day,  Decoration  Day,  dawned 
pleasantly,  both  wind  and  weather  being  all  that 
could  be  desired. 

Directly  after  dinner  we  were  sent  to  quarters 
for  target  practice.  The  target  was  dropped 
astern,  and  the  ship  steamed  ahead  to  the  re 
quired  distance.  Word  was  given  to  the  marines 
manning  the  six-pounders  to  prove  their  skill. 

The  port  forecastle  six-pounder,  using  a  shell 
containing  cordite,  a  powerful  English  explosive, 
was  in  charge  of  a  marine  corporal  named  J.  J. 
Murray,  who  acted  as  captain  of  the  gun.  After 
firing  several  rounds  with  marked  success,  Mur 
ray  saw  that  the  gun  was  loaded  for  another 
trial. 

Standing  at  the  breech,  he  steadied  the  gun 
with  his  left  arm  and  shoulder,  seized  the  pistol- 
grip,  placed  his  finger  on  the  trigger,  and  then 
slowly  and  carefully  brought  the  target  within 
the  sighting  line  in  readiness  to  fire. 
80 


WE   BECOME    COAL   HEAVERS. 

The  other  members  of  the  gun's  crew  were 
at  their  proper  stations.  Numbers  2  and  3, 
respectively  second  captain  and  first  loader  and 
shellman,  were  directly  behind  the  corporal. 
They  saw  him  steady  the  piece  again,  take  an 
other  careful  aim,  then  noted  that  his  finger 
gave  a  quick  tug  at  the  trigger. 

The  result  was  a  dull  click  but  no  explo 
sion. 

The  corporal  stepped  back  from  his  place  in 
vexation.  He  had  succeeded  in  getting  a  fine 
"  bead  "  just  as  the  cartridge  failed. 

"Blast  the  English  ammunition!"  he  ex 
claimed.  "  It's  no  good." 

The  other  men  at  the  gun  nodded  approval. 
Their  experience  bore  out  the  corporal's  asser 
tion.  They  also  knew  that  the  cordite  car 
tridges  were  not  adapted  to  American  guns,  and 
should  not  have  been  used.  But  they  were 
marines  and  they  were  accustomed  to  obey 
orders  without  comment. 

Captain  Brownson  had  noticed  the  incident 
and  he  sent  word  to  delay  opening  the  breech 
block  until  all  danger  of  explosion  had  passed. 
After  waiting  some  time,  Corporal  Murray  pro 
ceeded  to  extract  the  shell.  He  took  his  place 
at  the  breech,  while  No.  2  unlocked  the  plug 
and  swung  it  open. 

5  81 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

"  Now  we'll  see  what  is  the  matter,"  he  be 
gan.  "  I  guess  it  is  another  case  of 

He  never  finished  the  sentence.  With  a 
frightful  roar  the  defective  cartridge  exploded, 
sending  fragments  of  shell  and  parts  of  the 
breech-block  into  the  corporal's  face  and  chest. 
He  was  hurled  with  terrific  force  to  the  deck, 
where  he  lav  motionless,  mortally  wounded. 

Numbers  2  and  3  of  the  unfortunate  gun's 
crew  did  not  escape,  the  former  being  struck 
down  with  the  hand  lever,  which  penetrated 
his  arm.  The  injured  men  received  prompt 
attention  from  the  surgeon  and  his  assistants, 
but  Corporal  Murray  was  beyond  mortal  aid. 
He  died  ten  minutes  after  the  accident. 

He  was  a  good  soldier,  jolly  and  light-hearted, 
and  a  great  favorite  with  the  crew.  The  pecu 
liar  feeling  of  antagonism  which  is  supposed 
to  exist  between  the  sailors  and  marines  did  not 
obtain  in  his  case. 

In  the  navy  the  hammock  which  serves  the 
living  as  a  bed  by  night  is  also  their  coffin 
and  their  shroud.  It  so  served  Corporal  Mur 
ray. 

Shortly  after  four  bells  (six  o'clock)  on  the 
evening  of  the  day  on  which  the  accident  oc 
curred,  the  boatswain's  mate  sent  the  shrill 
piping  of  his  whistle  echoing  through  the  ship, 


"  WITH    A    FRIGHTFUL    ROAU    THE    DEFECTIVE    CARTRIDGE 

EXPLODED"  (page  82). 


WE   BECOME    COAL   HEAVERS. 

following  it  with  the  words,  doleful  and  long 
drawn  out: 

"  All  hands  shif t-f t-ft  into  clean-n-n  blue  and 
stand  by  to  bury  the  dead-d-d!  " 

When  the  crew  assembled  on  the  gun  deck  in 
obedience  to  the  call,  the  sun  was  just  disappear 
ing  beyond  the  edge  of  the  distant  horizon.  Its 
last  rays  entered  the  open  port,  showing  to  us 
the  dead  man's  figure  outlined  under  an  Ameri 
can  flag.  The  body  had  been  placed  upon  a 
grating  in  front  of  an  open  port,  and  several  men 
were  stationed  close  by  in  readiness  to  launch  it 
into  the  sea. 

'  The  ceaseless  swaying  of  the  ship  in  the 
trough  of  the  sea,  the  engines  having  been 
stopped,  set  the  lines  of  blue  uniformed  men 
swinging  and  nodding,  and,  as  the  surgeon,  Dr. 
McGowan,  read  the  Episcopal  service,  it  seemed 
in  the  half  light  as  if  every  man  were  keeping 
time  with  the  cadence. 

The  words  of  the  service,  beautiful  and  im 
pressive  under  such  novel  circumstances,  echoed 
and  whispered  along  the  deck,  and  at  the  sen 
tence,  "  We  commit  this  body  to  the  deep,"  the 
grating  was  raised  gently  and,  with  a  peculiar 
swish,  the  body,  heavily  weighted,  slid  down  to 
the  water's  edge  and  plunged  sullenly  into  the 
sea.  A  moment  more  and  the  service  was  fin- 
83 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

ished,  the  bugler  sounding  "  pipe  down."  A 
salute,  three  times  repeated,  was  fired  by  sixteen 
men  of  the  marine  guard. 

The  voyage  down  the  coast  was  utilized  in 
making  good  men-o'-war's  men  of  the  "  Yan 
kee's  "  crew.  Captain  Brownson  believes  thor 
oughly  in  the  efficacy  of  drill,  and  he  lost  no 
time  in  living  up  to  his  belief.  When  all  the 
circumstances  are  taken  into  consideration,  the 
task  allotted  to  the  captain  of  the  "  Yankee  " 
by  the  fortunes  of  war,  was  both  peculiar  and 
difficult. 

On  his  return  from  Europe,  where  he  had 
been  sent  to  select  vessels  for  the  improvised 
navy,  he  was  ordered  by  the  Navy  Department 
at  Washington  to  take  command  of  the  auxiliary 
cruiser  "  Yankee."  This  meant  that  he  was  to 
assume  charge  of  a  ship  hastily  converted  from 
an  ordinary  merchant  steamer,  and  to  fight  the 
battles  of  his  country  with  a  crew  composed  of 
youths  and  men  whose  whole  life  and  training 
had  hitherto  followed  totally  different  lines. 

It  was  a  "  licking  of  raw  material  into  shape  " 
with  a  vengeance. 

When  the  "  Chesapeake  "  sailed  forth  to  fight 
her  disastrous  battle  with  the  British  ship 
"  Shannon,"  her  crew  was  made  up  of  men  un- 
84 


WE   BECOME    COAL   HEAVERS. 

trained  in  the  art  of  war.  The  result  was  the 
most  humiliating  naval  defeat  in  the  history  of 
the  United  States.  The  same  fate  threatened 
Captain  Brownson.  There  was  this  difference 
in  the  cases,  however.  The  "  Chesapeake  "  had 
little  time  for  drilling,  while  the  "  Yankee  "  was 
fully  six  weeks  in  commission  before  her  first 
shot  was  fired  in  action.  Every  minute  of  those 
six  weeks  was  utilized. 

During  the  trip  down  the  coast  from  New 
York  general  quarters  were  held  each  day,  and 
target  practice  whenever  the  weather  permitted. 
In  addition  to  these  drills  the  crew  was  exercised 
in  man  and  arm  boats,  abandon  ship,  fire  drill, 
infantry  drill,  and  the  many  exercises  pro 
vided  by  the  naval  regulations.  Before  the 
"  Yankee  "  had  been  in  the  Gulf  Stream  two 
days,  the  various  guns'  crews  were  almost  letter- 
perfect  at  battery  work.  As  it  happened,  the 
value  of  good  drilling  was  soon  to  be  demon 
strated. 

As  we  neared  Cuba,  the  theatre  of  our  hopes 
and  expectations,  we  were  scarcely  able  to  con 
trol  ourselves.  The  bare  possibility  of  seeing 
real  war  within  a  few  days  made  every  man  the 
victim  of  a  consuming  impatience.  Rumors  of 
every  description  were  rife,  and  the  many  weird 
and  impossible  tales  invented  by  the  ship's  cook 
85 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

and  the  captain's  steward — the  men-o'-war  ora 
cles — would  have  put  even  Baron  Munchausen 
to  the  blush. 

The  Rumor  Committee,  otherwise  known 
as  the  "  Scuttle-butt  Navigators,"  to  which  every 
man  on  board  was  elected  a  life  member  the 
moment  he  promulgated  a  rumor,  was  soon  ac 
tively  engaged,  and  it  was  definitely  settled  that 
the  "  Yankee  "  was  to  become  the  flagship  of  the 
whole  fleet,  our  captain  made  Lord  High  Ad 
miral,  and  the  whole  Spanish  nation  swept  off 
the  face  of  the  globe,  in  about  thirteen  and  a 
half  seconds  by  the  chronometer. 


86 


CHAPTEK    VII. 

WE    ENTER   THE    "  THEATRE    OF   WAR." 

The  shrill  pipe  of  the  bosun's  whistle,  followed 
by  the  order  "  All  hands  to  muster,"  reached 
our  ears  a  day  or  two  out  from  New  York.  We 
were  enjoying  an  hour  of  well-earned  leisure, 
so  it  was  with  reluctance  that  we  obeyed  and 
went  aft  on  the  gun  deck.  All  hands  are  seldom 
called  to  muster,  so  we  knew  that  something  of 
importance  was  in  the  wind. 

After  the  three^sided  hollow  square  had  been 
formed,  the  captain  appeared.  The  small  men 
stood  on  tip-toe,  and  the  tall  men  craned  their 
necks. 

"  We  are  about  to  enter  the  theatre  of  war," 
said  the  captain,  in  his  sharp,  decisive  way, 
"  and  I  expect  every  man  to  do  his  duty,  to  re 
double  his  efforts  to  preserve  discipline,  to  per 
fect  drills.  Drills  will,  of  a  necessity,  be  fre 
quent  and  hard.  I  would  have  you  understand 
that  our  best  protection  is  the  fire  from  our  own 
87 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

guns.  The  more  rapid  and  accurate  our  fire, 
the  safer  we  shall  be.  Pipe  down." 

After  we  had  been  dismissed,  the  men  formed 
little  groups  and  discussed  the  captain's  speech. 

"  I  like  the  '  old  man's  '  talk,"  said  the  "  Kid," 
condescendingly ;  "  it's  to  the  point  and  short. 
But  how  in  the  name  of  common  sense  are  we 
going  to  find  time  to  drill  with  more  frequency? 
Three  times  a  day  and  once  or  more  at  night, 
allows  us  just  about  time  enough  to  eat  and  do 
the  necessary  routine  work,  to  say  nothing  about 
sleeping.  Clear  ship,  general  quarters,  and  fire 
drill  during  the  day,  and  general  quarters  after 
ten  last  night.  That's  already  somewhat  fre 
quent,  methinks,"  he  concluded,  suppressing  a 
yawn. 

"  Well,  if  we  are  to  have  any  scraps,"  said 
"  Bill,"  "  we  certainly  must  know  how  to  work 
the  ship  and  the  guns.  For,  as  the  skipper  said, 
'  our  own  fire  is  our  best  protection.' ' 

We  bowled  along  at  a  good  fifteen-knot  gait, 
day  after  day  and  night  after  night.  The 
weather  was  magnificent  and  the  climate  delight 
ful.  It  was  full  moon,  and  such  a  moon  as  few 
of  us  had  seen  before — so  bright  that  letters 
could  be  and  were  written  by  her  silvery  light. 

Though  drills  of  all  sorts  were  of  constant  oc 
currence,  there  were  times  after  mess  when  we 
88 


WE   ENTER   THE    "THEATRE    OF   WAR." 

could  ''caulk  off"  and  enjoy  the  glorious  weather. 
Our  experience  of  bad  weather  along  the  coast 
of  New  Jersey  and  Long  Island  had  given  us 
keen  zest  for  the  good  conditions  we  were  now 
enjoying.  We  were  sailing  along  in  the  warm 
waters  of  the  Gulf  Stream — the  Gulf  weed  pecu 
liar  to  that  current  slipping  by  as  we  forged 
through  it.  "  Stump,"  "  Dye/'  of  Number 
Eight's  gun  crew,  a  witty  chap  and  a  good  singer, 
"  Hay,"  and  I  were  leaning  over  the  taffrail, 
looking  into  the  swirling  water  made  by  the 
propeller's  thrust,  when  "  Dye "  remarked : 
"  This  is  the  queerest  water  I  ever  saw  in  all 
my  days;  it  looks  like  the  bluing  water  our 
laundress  used  to  make,  with  the  suds  mixed 
in." 

The  smooth  sea  was  dark  and  clear  as  could 
be,  but  where  churned  by  the  propeller  it  turned 
to  the  color  of  turquoise. 

"  I  really  believe,"  said  "  Bill,"  as  he  joined 
the  group,  "  that  we  could  use  it  to  turn  our 
whites  blue." 

It  was  a  delight  and  marvel  to  us  all;  we 
would  have  liked  nothing  better  than  to  have 
spent  hours  gazing  at  these  wonderful  colors. 

As  we  stood  absorbed  in  the  sight  before  us, 
we  were  interrupted  by  the  short,  sharp  ringing 
of  the  ship's  bell — a  dozen  or  more  strokes  given 
89 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

in  quick  succession  followed,  after  a  short  pause, 
by  two  more  strokes. 

Some  one  shouted  "Fire,  boys!"  and  all 
hands  rushed  for  their  stations — some  to  the 
hose-reel,  some  below  to  the  gun  deck  to  close 
the  ports,  and  some  to  the  berth  deck  to  receive 
the  hose  when  it  came  down.  We  did  not  know 
whether  it  was  drill  or  actual  fire,  but  the  skip 
per's  talk  of  the  night  before  gave  us  unusual 
energy,  and  the  preparations  were  made  in 
record  time.  The  canvas  hose  was  pulled  along 
the  deck  with  a  swish,  the  nozzle  grasped  by  the 
waiting  hands  below  and  carried  with  a  run 
away  aft  on  the  berth  deck.  The  fire  was  sup 
posed  to  be  raging  at  this  point,  as  was  indi 
cated  by  the  two  last  strokes  of  the  alarm 
signal. 

While  the  hose  was  being  led  out,  sturdy  arms 
tugged  at  the  port  lanyards  and  pulled  them  to. 
Others  battened  down  the  hatches,  to  keep  the 
draught  from  adding  fury  to  the  flames. 

All  this  was  done  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
tell  it,  and  the  men  stood  at  their  posts,  per 
spiring  and  panting  from  the  quick  work. 

We  had  hardly  time  to  catch  our  breath  when 
the  order  "  Abandon  ship  "  was  heard.  Imme 
diately  there  was  a  scurry  of  feet,  and  a  rush  for 
the  upper  deck;  but  some  stayed  below  to  carry 
90 


These  circles  indicate  the  red  and  white  lights  of  the  ' '  Ardois  " 
system  of  night-signalling.  They  are  four  in  number,  hung  one 
below  the  other  on  the  foremast.  They  are  lighted  by  electricity, 
and  any  or  all  may  be  turned  on  at  will. 


A      B         C        I)        E       F       G       H 

oo*o*o*» 
0*0000*0 
•  •  o     o  o  o 
o  •  o 


J 


L        M 


o  o  o  • 
o  •  o  o 
•  o  •  o 


NO        P       Q       R        S       T       IT       V       W      X       Y      Z 

*o**ooo***o*o 

•  •  o  o  •  •  •  o  •  •  •  o 
•••o  o  o  o  o  •  o 
o •  0*00 


1       2 


9       10 


O  *O  •  O  * 

O  0O  •  O  O 
O*OO  •  O 
OO  *O  *O 


€> 

O 


O 


The  whole  wigwag  system  of  signalling  is  made  up  of  these  three  motions  :  to  the  right, 
one  ;  to  the  left,  two  ;  in  front,  three.    The  code  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix. 


WE  ENTER   THE   "  THEATRE   OF  WAR" 

ship's  bread  and  canned  meats  to  the  boats — two 
eases  of  bread  and  two  cases  of  meat  for  the 
large  boats,  and  one  case  of  each  for  the  smaller. 
The  crews  and  passengers  of  each  boat  gathered 
near  it.  Every  man  had  been  assigned  to  a  boat 
either  as  crew  or  passenger,  and  when  the  order 
"  abandon  ship "  was  given,  every  one  knew 
instantly  where  to  go  for  refuge. 

Though  we  had  already  gone  through  this 
"  fire  drill  "  and  "  abandon  ship  "  (one  always 
followed  the  other),  it  had  then  been  done  in 
peaceful  waters  and  in  a  perfunctory  way.  Now 
that  we  were  entering  "  the  theatre  of  war,"  we 
felt  the  seriousness  of  it  all,  and  realized  that 
what  was  now  a  mere  drill  might  become  a 
stern  reality. 

The  order  "  Secure  "  was  given;  the  hose  was 
reeled  up,  the  ports  opened,  and  the  provisions 
returned  to  their  places  in  hold  and  store  room. 
The  men  went  to  their  quarters,  and  so  stood 
till  the  bugler  blew  "  retreat." 

The  time  not  devoted  to  drills  was  taken  up 
in  getting  the  ship  ready  for  the  serious  work 
she  was  to  undertake. 

All  woodwork  on  the  gun  deck  not  in  actual 

use  was  carried  below  or  thrown  overboard,  and 

the  great  cargo  booms  were  either  taken  down 

and   stowed  safely  away,   where   the  splinters 

91 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

would  not  be  dangerous,  or  were  covered  with 
canvas. 

These  preparations  had  a  sinister  look  that 
made  us  realize,  if  we  had  not  done  so  before, 
that  this  was  real  war  that  we  were  about  to 
engage  in — no  sham  battle  or  manoeuvres. 

The  men  went  about  their  work  more  quietly 
and  thoughtfully,  for  one  and  all  now  under 
stood  their  responsibilities.  If  the  ship  made  a 
record  for  herself,  the  crew  would  get  a  large 
share  of  the  credit;  and  if  she  failed  to  do  the 
work  cut  out  for  her,  on  the  crew  would  be  laid 
the  blame.  If  the  men  behind  the  guns  and  the 
men  running  the  engines  did  not  do  their  work 
rapidly  and  well,  disaster  and  disgrace  would 
follow. 

As  we  neared  the  scene  of  conflict,  the  dis 
cipline  grew  more  and  more  strict.  Before  a 
man  realized  that  he  had  done  anything  wrong, 
his  name  would  be  called  by  the  master-at-arms 
and  he  would  be  hauled  "  up  to  the  mast "  for 
trial. 

"  You  ought  to  see  the  gang  up  at  the  mast," 
said  "  Stump,"  one  bright  afternoon.  "  '  Mac  ' 
and  '  Hod  Marsh  '  have  gathered  enough  extra 
duty  men  to  do  all  the  dirty  work  for  a  month." 

"  What  were  you  doing  up  there?"  asked  a 
bystander. 

92 


WE   ENTER   THE   "THEATRE   OF   WAR." 

"  Why,  I  thought  I  heard  my  name  called, 
and  as  discretion  is  the  better  part  of  valor,  I 
lined  up  with  the  rest,  and  I  was  glad  I  did,  too, 
for  it  was  good  sport." 

"  Maybe  you  thought  it  was  sport,  but  how 
about  the  chaps  that  were  '  pinched  '  ?  Who 
was  up  before  the  skipper,  anyhow? " 

"  Oh,  there  was  a  big  gang  up  there — I  can't 
remember  them  all;  '  Lucky  Bag  Kennedy  '  was 
there,  for  being  late  at  general  quarters  the 
other  day.  When  the  captain  looked  at  him  in 
that  fierce  way  of  his  and  asked  what  he  had  to 
say  for  himself,  '  Lucky  Bag '  said  he  didn't 
realize  the  time.  The  skipper  could  hardly  keep 
his  face  straight.  '  Four  hours,'  he  said,  and 
that  was  all  there  was  to  it." 

"  Poor  '  Lucky  Bag,'  "  came  from  all  sides  as 
"  Stump  "  paused  to  take  breath. 

"  Then  there  was  '  Big  Bill,'  the  water  ten 
der,"  continued  "  Stump."  "  He  was  hauled  up 
for  appearing  on  the  spar  deck  without  a  uni 
form.  When  the  skipper  asked  him  what  he 
had  to  say  for  himself,  '  Big  Bill '  cleared  his 
throat  with  a  woof — you  know  how  it  sounds: 
the  ship  shakes  and  trembles  when  he  does  it — 
and  the  '  old  man '  fairly  tottered  under  the 
blast.  '  Big  Bill '  explained  that  he  could  not 
get  a  uniform  big  enough  for  him,  because  the 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD    THE    "  YANKEE." 

paymaster  could  not  fit  him  out.  The  captain 
almost  grinned  when  he  heard  the  excuse,  and 
(  Big  Bill ' — well,  he  enjoyed  the  situation,  I'll 
bet  a  month's  pay." 

There  was  a  little  pause  here,  and  we  heard 
a  great  voice  rumbling  from  below.  Then  we 
knew  that  "  Big  Bill "  was  telling  his  intimates 
all  about  it,  embellishing  the  story  as  only  he 
could  do. 

We  laughed  sympathetically  as  the  shouts  of 
glee  rose  to  our  ears.  We  had  all  enjoyed  his 
good-humored  Irish  wit. 

"  Well,  who  else  was  in  trouble  this  after 
noon,  '  Stump  '  ?  "  said  "  Mourner,"  the  inquisi 
tive. 

"  Oh,  a  lot  of  unfortunate  duffers.  Several 
who  were  put  on  the  report  for  being  slow  in 
lashing  up  their  hammocks  got  a  couple  of  hours 
extra  duty  each.  One  or  two  were  there  because 
they  had  clothes  in  the  '  lucky  bag  ' — they  had 
left  them  round  the  decks  somewhere,  and  the 
master-at-arms  had  grabbed  them.  The  owners 
had  to  go  on  the  report  to  get  the  clothes  out. 
It  cost  them  a  couple  of  hours  each." 

"  Well,  how  did  you  get  out  of  it?  "  said  I, 
when  "  Stump  "  paused  to  breathe. 

"  I  was  nearly  scared  to  death,"  he  continued, 
after  a  minute  or  two.  "  My  name  was  not 
94 


WE  ENTER   THE   "THEATRE   OF   WAR." 

called,  and  the  rank  thinned  out  till  there  were 
only  a  few  of  us  left.  I  began  to  think  that 
some  special  punishment  was  being  reserved  for 
me,  and  that  the  captain  was  waiting  so  he  could 
think  it  over.  "What  my  offence  was  I  could 
not  imagine;  my  conscience  was  clear,  I  vow. 
As  I  stood  there  in  the  sun  I  thought  over  the 
last  few  days,  and  made  a  confession  to  myself, 
but  couldn't  think  of  anything  very  wicked. 
Had  I  unintentionally  blocked  a  marine  sentry's 
way  and  thus  interfered  with  him  in  the  per 
formance  of  his  duty?  I  had  visions  at  this 
point  of  myself  in  the  '  brig,'  existing  on  bread 
and  water.  Had  I  inadvertently  gone  into 
'  Cutlet's '  pet  after  wheel-house?  I  was  in  a 
brown  study,  conjuring  up  imaginary  misdeeds, 
when  a  voice  sounded  in  my  ear :  (  Here,  my 
man ;  what  do  you  want  ? '  I  looked  around, 
dazed,  at  the  captain,  who  stood  by,  the  closed 
report  book  in  his  hand.  Then  I  realized  that 
my  being  there  was  a  mistake,  so  I  saluted  and 
said,  '  Nothing,  sir.' ' 

"That's  a  very  nice  tale,"  said  "Dye."  "We'll 
have  to  get (  Mac  '  to  verify  it." 

"It's  straight,"  protested  "Stump."  "Ask 
the  skipper  himself  if  you  want  to." 

The  old  boat  ploughed  her  way  through  the 
blue  waters  of  the  Gulf  Stream  at  the  rate  of 
95 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

from  fourteen  to  fifteen  knots  an  hour.  The 
skies  were  clear  and  the  sun  warm  and  bright — 
a  <x>ol  breeze  tempered  its  heat  and  made  life 
bearable.  The  ship  rolled  lazily  in  the  long 
swell  and  the  turquoise  wake  boiled  astern.  "We 
steamed  for  days  without  sighting  a  sail  or  a 
light;  we  were  "  alone  on  a  wide,  wide  sea."  At 
times  schools  of  dolphins  would  race  and  shoot 
up  out  of  the  water  alongside,  much  to  our  glee. 
All  the  beauties  of  these  tropical  waters  were 
new  to  us.  Every  school  of  flying  fish  and  flock 
of  Mother  Carey's  chickens  brought  crowds  to 
the  rail.  The  sunsets  were  glorious,  though  all 
too  short,  and  the  sunrises,  if  less  appreciated, 
just  as  fine. 

At  night  the  guns'  crews  of  the  "  watch  on 
deck  "  slept  round  their  loaded  guns,  one  man  of 
each  crew  always  standing  guard.  The  men  of 
the  powder  divisions  manned  the  lookout  posts. 

All  hands  were  in  good  spirits,  calmed  some 
what,  however,  by  the  thought  that  soon  we 
might  be  in  the  thick  of  battle,  the  outcome  of 
which  no  man  could  tell. 

It  was  during  this  voyage  that  friendships, 
begun  on  the  Block  Island-Barnegat  cruise,  were 
cemented.  The  life  aboard  ship  tended  to  "  show 
up  "  a  man  as  he  really  was.  His  good  and  bad 
qualities  appeared  so  that  all  might  see.  Was 
96 


WE  ENTER   THE   "THEATRE   OF  WAR." 

he  good-natured,  even-tempered,  thoughtful,  his 
mates  knew  it  at  once  and  liked  him.  Was  he 
quick-tempered,  selfish,  uncompanionable,  it  was 
quite  as  evident,  and  he  had  few  friends.  Ster 
ling  and  unsuspected  qualities  were  brought  out 
in  many  of  the  men. 

Every  man  felt  that  we  must  and  would  stand 
together,  and  with  a  will  do  our  work,  be  it 
peaceful  or  warlike. 

Where  were  we  bound?  Were  we  to  join  the 
Havana  blockading  fleet?  Were  we  destined 
for  despatch  and  scout  duty?  Or  were  we  to 
take  part  in  actual  conflict? 

It  was  while  we  were  settling  these  questions 
to  our  own  satisfaction  on  the  morning  of  June 
2d,  that  a  hail  came  from  the  lookout  at  the 
masthead  forward. 

"  Land  O !  "  he  shouted,  waving  his  cap. 
"Hurray!  it's  Cuba!" 

The  navigator,  whose  rightful  surname  had 
been  converted  by  the  facetious  Naval  Reserves 
into  "  Cutlets,"  for  reasons  of  their  own,  lost  no 
time  in  rebuking  the  too  enthusiastic  lookout. 

"  Aloft,  there,  you  measly  lubber !  What  in 
thunder  do  you  mean?  Have  you  sighted 
land?  " 

"  Ye-es,  sir-r,"  quavered  the  lookout. 

((  Then  why  don't  you  say  so  without  adding 
7  97 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

any  conjectures  of  your  own? "  commented  the 
irascible  Lieutenant  "  Cutlets,"  severely. 

The  rest  of  the  crew  were  too  deeply  inter 
ested  in  the  vague  streak  of  color  on  the  horizon 
to  pay  any  attention  to  the  "  wigging  "  of  the 
man  at  the  masthead.  We  knew  that  the  dun- 
hued  streak  rising  from  the  blue  shadows  of  the 
ocean  was  Cuba,  and  we  could  think  or  talk  of 
nothing  else. 

Somewhere  beyond  that  towering  mountain 
was  Santiago,  the  port  in  which  the  flea-like 
squadron  of  Admiral  Cervera  was  bottled  up, 
and  there  was  a  deadly  fear  in  our  hearts  that 
the  wily  Spaniard  would  sally  forth  to  battle 
before  we  could  join  our  fleet. 

We  pictured  to  ourselves  the  gray  mountain 
massed  high  about  the  narrow  entrance  of  Santi 
ago  Bay,  the  picturesque  Morro  Castle,  squat 
ting  like  a  grim  giant  above  the  strait,  and 
outside,  tossing  and  bobbing  upon  the  swell  of 
a  restless  sea,  the  mighty  semicircle  of  drab 
ships  waiting,  yearning  for  the  outcoming  of  the 
Dons.  We  of  the  "  Yankee,"  I  repeat,  were  in 
an  agony  of  dread  that  we  would  arrive  too 
late. 

Cape  Maysi,  the  scene  of  many  an  adven 
turous  filibustering  expedition,  was  passed  at 
high  noon,  and  at  eight  bells  in  the  evening  the 
98 


WE   ENTER   THE   "THEATRE   OF   WAR." 

anchor  was  dropped  off  Mole  St.  Nicholas,  a 
convenient  port  in  the  island  of  Hayti.  As  we 
steamed  into  the  harbor  we  passed  close  to  the 
auxiliary  cruiser  "  St.  Louis." 

The  anchor  was  scarcely  on  the  bottom  when 
the  gig  was  called  away.  We  awaited  the  re 
turn  of  Captain  Brownson  with  impatience.  The 
news  he  brought  was  reassuring,  however. 
Nothing  of  moment  had  occurred  since  our 
departure  from  New  York.  Within  an  hour 
we  were  again  out  at  sea,  this  time  en  route 
to  Santiago. 

There  was  little  sleep  on  board  that  night, 
and  when  morning  dawned,  every  man  who 
could  escape  from  below  was  on  deck  watching, 
waiting  for  the  first  glimpse  of  Admiral  Samp 
son's  fleet.  Shortly  after  daylight,  the  squad 
ron  was  sighted.  The  scene  was  picturesque  in 
the  extreme. 

The  gray  of  early  dawn  was  just  giving  way 
before  the  first  rays  of  a  tropical  sun.  Almost 
hidden  in  the  mist  hovering  about  the  coast  were 
a  number  of  vague  spots  seemingly  arranged  in 
a  semicircle,  the  base  of  which  was  the  green- 
covered  tableland  fronting  Santiago.  The  spots 
were  tossing  idly  upon  a  restless  sea,  and,  as  the 
sun  rose  higher,  each  gradually  assumed  the 
shape  of  a  marine  engine  of  war.  Beyond  them 
99 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

was  a  stretch  of  sandy,  surf-beaten  coast,  and 
directly  fronting  the  centre  ship  could  be  seen 
a  narrow  cleft  in  the  hill — the  gateway  leading 
to  the  ancient  city  of  Santiago  de  Cuba. 

As  we  steamed  in  closer  to  the  fleet  we  saw 
indications  that  something  of  importance  had 
occurred  or  was  about  to  occur.  Steam  launches 
and  torpedo  boats  were  dashing  about  between 
the  ships,  strings  of  parti-colored  bunting 
flaunted  from  the  signal  halliards  of  the  flagship 
"  New  York,"  and  nearer  shore  could  be  seen 
one  of  the  smaller  cruisers  evidently  making  a 
reconnaissance. 

"  We  are  just  in  time,  Russ,"  exclaimed 
"Stump,"  jubilantly.  "The  fleet  is  getting 
ready  for  a  scrap.  And  we'll  be  right  in  it." 

I  edged  toward  the  bridge.  The  first  news 
would  come  from  that  quarter.  Several  minutes 
later,  Captain  Brownson,  who  had  been  watch 
ing  the  signals  with  a  powerful  glass,  closed  the 
instrument  with  a  snap,  and  cried  out  to  the 
executive  officer: 

"  Hubbard,  you  will  never  believe  it." 

"What's  happened?" 

The  reply  was  given  so  low  that  I  could  catch 
only  a  few  words,  but  it  was  enough  to  send  me 
scurrying  aft  at  the  top  of  my  speed.  The  news 
was  startling  indeed. 

100 


STAND  BY,    MEN.      BE   READY  FOR   INSTANT  ACTION 

(page  57). 


CHAPTER    VIII. 
WE  JOIN  SAMPSON'S  FLEET. 

As  the  "  Yankee "  steamed  in  toward  the 
blockading  fleet  off  the  entrance  to  Santiago 
harbor,  the  scurrying  torpedo  boats  and  the 
many  little  launches  darting  here  and  there  like 
so  many  beetles  on  a  pond,  became  more  ap 
parent,  and  it  was  plainly  evident  to  all  that 
something  of  great  importance  had  recently 
happened. 

The  scattered  remarks  made  by  Captain 
Brownson  on  the  bridge  formed,  when  pieced 
together,  such  a  wonderful  bit  of  news  that  I 
could  scarcely  contain  myself  as  I  hurried  aft. 
I  wanted  to  stop  and  fling  my  cap  into  the  air. 
I  felt  like  dancing  a  jig  and  hurrahing  and 
offering  praise  for  the  fact  that  I  was  an 
American. 

As  it  happened,  I  was  not  the  only  member 

of  the   "  Yankee's "   crew  that  had  overheard 

the  "  old  man's  "  words.     The  second  captain 

of  the  after  port  five-inch  gun,  a  jolly  good  fel- 

101 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

low,  known  familiarly  as  "  Hay  "  by  the  boys, 
chanced  to  be  under  the  bridge.  As  I  raced  aft 
on  the  port  side  he  started  in  the  same  direction 
on  the  starboard  side  of  the  spar  deck.  His  legs 
fairly  twinkled,  and  he  beat  me  to  the  gangway 
by  a  neck. 

"  What  do  you  think? "  I  heard  him  gasp  as 
I  came  up.  "Talk  of  your  heroes!  Whoop! 
Say,  I'm  glad  I  am  a  son  of  that  old  flag  aft 
there.  It's  the  greatest  thing  that  ever  hap 
pened." 

"  What?  "  chorused  a  dozen  voices. 

"  Last  night " 

"  Yes." 

"  Last  night  a  volunteer  crew " 

"  Hurry  up,  will  you?  " 

"  Last  night,  or  rather  early  this  morning,  a 
volunteer  crew,  under  the  command  of  a  naval 
constructor  named  Hobson,  took  the  collier 
*  Merrimac '  into  the  mouth  of  the  harbor 
and " 

"  That  old  tub? "  interrupted  a  marine  who 
had  served  in  the  regular  navy,  incredulously. 
"  Why,  she's  nothing  but  a  hulk.  She  hasn't 
a  gun  or " 

"She  didn't  go  in  to  fight,"  said  "Hay." 
"  They  were  to  block  up  the  channel  with  her." 

"To  block  up  the  channel?" 
102 


WE  JOIN  SAMPSON'S  FLEET. 

"  Yes.  Cervera  and  his  fleet  are  in  the  harbor, 
you  know,  and  the  scheme  was  to  keep  them 
from  coming  out." 

"  Did  they  succeed? "  chorused  the  whole 
group  of  eager  listeners. 

"  Yes,  but " 

The  conclusion  of  "Hay's"  sentence  was 
drowned  in  a  wild  whoop  of  joy,  a  whoop  that 
brought  a  number  of  other  "  Yankees  "  to  the 
spot,  and  also  a  gesture  of  remonstrance  from 
the  executive  officer  on  the  bridge. 

"Wait,  boys,"  I  said,  gently;  "you  haven't 
heard  all." 

There  was  quiet  at  once. 

"  Hobson  and  his  brave  men  succeeded  in 
accomplishing  their  object,  but  they  have  paid 
the  penalty  for  it." 

"  Not  dead  ?  "  asked  one  in  almost  a  whisper. 

"  So  the  captain  read  the  signals.  The  '  Mer- 
rimac  '  went  in  about  three  o'clock  this  morning. 
It  seems  she  reached  the  channel  all  right,  but 
she  was  discovered  and  sent  to  the  bottom  with 
all  on  board." 

"  Hay  "  took  off  his  cap  reverently,  and  the 
others  instantly  followed  his  example.  Nothing 
more  was  said.  The  glory  of  the  deed  was  over 
shadowed  by  the  supposed  fate  of  the  gallant 
volunteer  crew. 

103 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

The  "  Yankee  "  steamed  in  to  a  position  desig 
nated  by  the  flagship,  and  the  captain  went 
aboard  to  pay  his  respects  to  Admiral  Sampson. 
A  Spanish  tug,  flying  a  flag  of  truce,  which  had 
emerged  from  the  harbor  at  noon,  met  one  of 
our  tugs,  also  flying  a  flag  of  truce,  and  almost 
immediately  a  string  of  signals  went  up  to  the 
signal  yard  of  the  "  New  York." 

Then  came  such  a  burst  of  cheers  and 
whistling  and  tossing  of  hats  from  every  ship 
in  the  fleet  that  it  seemed  as  if  every  officer 
and  sailor  in  Sampson's  squadron  had  suddenly 
gone  daft.  Like  wildfire,  the  glorious  news 
spread 

Hobson  and  his  men  were  safe! 

The  tug  from  the  harbor  had  brought  an  offi 
cer  sent  by  Admiral  Cervera  himself  with  a  mes 
sage  stating  that  the  brave  naval  constructor 
and  all  his  crew  had  been  captured  alive  and 
were  now  prisoners  in  Morro  Castle.  Later,  a 
press  boat  came  alongside  and  confirmed  the 
news  through  a  megaphone. 

The  excitement  on  board  the  "  Yankee,"  like 
that  throughout  the  fleet,  was  tremendous. 
Those  in  the  North  who  had  received  both  the 
news  of  the  feat  and  the  rescue  at  the  same  time, 
can  hardly  understand  the  revulsion  of  feeling 
which  swept  through  the  American  ships  gath- 
104 


WE  JOIN  SAMPSON'S   FLEET. 

ered  off  Santiago.  It  was  like  hearing  from  a 
supposed  dead  friend. 

These  heroes  were  comrades — nay,  brothers. 
They  wore  the  blue  and  they  were  fighting  for 
Old  Glory.  Their  praise  was  ours  and  their 
deed  redounded  to  the  eternal  credit  and  fame 
of  the  American  navy.  Small  wonder  that  we 
welcomed  the  news  of  their  safety,  and  cheered 
until  our  throats  were  husky  and  our  eyes  wet 
with  something  more  than  mere  exertion. 

All  hail  to  Richmond  Pearson  Hobson  and 
his  men! 

Heroes  all! 

During  the  afternoon  of  our  arrival,  when 
we  finally  secured  time  to  look  about  us,  we  were 
struck  with  the  appearance  of  the  really  formi 
dable  fleet  of  warships  collected  under  Admiral 
Sampson's  flag.  For  size  of  individual  ships 
and  weight  of  armor  and  armament,  there  had 
never  been  anything  in  the  history  of  the  United 
States  to  equal  it. 

The  fleet  consisted  of  the  powerful  battleships 
"Iowa,"  "Indiana,"  "Massachusetts,"  and 
"  Texas,"  the  two  splendid  armored  cruisers 
"  New  York  "  and  "  Brooklyn,"  cruisers  "  New 
Orleans  "  and  "  Marblehead,"  converted  yachts 
"  Mayflower,"  "  Josephine,"  and  "  Vixen,"  tor- 
105 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

pedo  boat  "  Porter,"  cable  boat  "  Adria,"  gun 
boat  "  Dolphin/'  and  the  auxiliary  cruisers  "  St. 
Louis  "  and  "  Yankee." 

The  vessels  formed  a  semicircular  line,  com 
pletely  enclosing  the  entrance  to  Santiago  har 
bor.  From  where  the  "  Yankee  "  rested,  on  the 
right  wing,  a  fine  view  of  the  coast  could  be 
obtained.  Two  insurgent  camps  were  plainly 
visible — one  on  the  beach  and  another  in  the 
hills,  which  at  that  point  rose  to  the  height  of 
fully  four  thousand  feet.  Morro  Castle,  a  grim, 
sullen,  gray  embattled  fort,  directly  overlooking 
the  channel,  was  in  plain  sight,  and  here  and 
there  could  be  seen  little  green  or  sand-colored 
mounds,  marking  the  site  of  earthworks. 

The  stretch  of  blue  sea,  edged  by  the  tumbling 
surf-beaten  beach,  and  the  uprising  of  foliage- 
covered  hills,  all  brought  out  clearly  by  a  tropi 
cal  sun,  formed  a  picture  as  far  removed  from 
the  usual  setting  of  war  as  could  be.  But  war 
was  there,  and  the  scenery  appealed  to  few. 
There  was  more  interest  in  the  drab  hulls  of  the 
fleet  and  the  outward  reaching  of  the  mighty 
guns. 

That  evening — the  evening  of  June  3d — the 
"  Yankee's  "  decks  presented  an  animated  spec 
tacle.  The  novel  surroundings  and  the  prospect 
of  action  kept  the  boys  interested.  The  "Rumor 
106 


WE  JOIN   SAMPSON'S   FLEET. 

Committee  "  was  in  active  session,  and  one  of 
its  principal  members,  the  captain's  orderly, 
brought  the  news  forward  that  the  auxiliary 
cruiser  would  surely  lead  a  procession  of  battle 
ships  into  Santiago  harbor  the  following  day. 

This  was  a  little  too  strong  for  even  the 
marines  to  swallow.  We  lay  down  by  our  loaded 
guns  that  night,  feeling  that  it  was  well  to  be 
within  easy  reach  of  our  defenders. 

Hammocks  were  laid  on  the  deck  close  to 
each  five-inch  breechloader,  and  the  regular 
watch  was  doubled.  Lack  of  experience  made 
all  these  warlike  preparations  very  impressive, 
and  it  was  some  time  before  the  boys  fell  asleep. 
For  my  part,  such  a  restlessness  possessed  me 
that,  after  trying  to  woo  slumber  for  a  half  hour, 
I  left  my  place  and  crawled  over  nearer  the 
open  port. 

"Hello,  Russ,"  whispered  a  voice,  appar 
ently  from  the  outside.  "  Just  lean  out  here  if 
you  want  to  cool  off.  Isn't  the  night  air  fine?  " 

A  small  figure  wriggled  in  from  where  it 
had  been  hanging  over  the  port  sill,  and  in  the 
faint  light  I  recognized  "  Kid,"  as  we  called  him, 
the  smallest  boy  on  board,  and  so  pleasant  and 
popular  that  we  had  unanimously  elected  him 
the  mascot  of  the  ship. 

I  was  glad  to  see  that  it  was  "  Kid."  His 
107 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

fund  of  ready  wit  and  his  never-failing  good 
nature  made  him  a  welcome  companion  at  all 
times.  He  did  not  belong  to  my  gun,  being 
a  "  powder  monkey  "  on  No.  16,  a  six-pounder 
on  the  spar  deck,  but  "  Kid  "  was  privileged,  and 
he  could  have  penetrated  to  the  captain's  cabin 
with  impunity. 

"  Thought  I'd  drop  down  here  for  a  rest,"  he 
began,  stretching  himself  and  yawning.  "  Too 
much  tramping  about  on  deck  to  sleep.  Say, 
looks  as  if  we  were  going  to  have  a  little  rain, 
doesn't  it? " 

The  moon  had  just  passed  behind  a  scurrying 
cloud,  causing  the  silvery  sparkle  of  its  reflection 
to  suddenly  fade  from  the  surface  of  the  water. 
The  lights  and  shadows  on  the  nearby  beach 
changed  to  a  streaky  dark  smudge.  There  was 
a  damp  touch  to  the  air. 

"  This  would  be  a  proper  night  for  one  of 
those  sneaking  torpedo  boats  to  give  us  a  scare," 
resumed  "  Kid,"  thoughtfully.  "  Funny  ways 
of  fighting  those  Dagoes  have,  eh?  It's  like 
prisoner's  base  that  I  played  when  I  was  a  boy." 

"  Kid's  "  eighteen  years  were  a  mature  age 
in  his  opinion. 

"  The  two  torpedo  craft  in  Santiago  harbor 
could  do  a  great  deal  of  damage  if  they  were 
properly  handled,"  I  ventured.  "  They  are 
108 


WE  JOIN  SAMPSON'S  FLEET. 

magnificent  vessels  of  their  class.  Look  what 
Gushing  did  with  a  slow  steam  launch  and  a 
powder  can  on  the  end  of  a  stick." 

"  The  case  was  different." 

"  Yes,  but " 

"  Gushing  was  an  American,"  interrupted  the 
boy  convincingly. 

There  was  silence  for  awhile  and  we  lolled  in 
the  port,  gazing  idly  at  the  black  spots  in  the 
gloom  representing  the  blockading  fleet.  Be 
tween  us  and  the  shore  was  the  "  New  Orleans," 
the  faint  tracery  of  her  masts  just  showing  above 
the  distant  background  of  the  hills.  The  damp 
ness  in  the  air  had  increased,  and  a  dash  of  rain 
came  in  the  open  port. 

"  What  were  you  doing  at  the  mast  this  morn 
ing,  '  Kid  '  ? "  I  asked  by  way  of  variety. 

"  Had  a  mustering  shirt  in  the  lucky  bag." 

I  heard  the  boy  chuckle.  There  was  an  esca 
pade  behind  the  remark. 

"  You  know  that  wardroom  Jap  with  the  bad 
eye?" 
"  "  Yes." 

"  It  was  his  shirt." 

"  But  how " 

"  It  was  this  way.     You  know  how  hard  it  has 
been  to  put  up  with  '  government  straight '  as  a 
steady  diet,  don't  you?  " 
109 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

I  nodded.  As  "  government  straight  "  meant 
the  extremely  simple  bill  of  fare  provided  by 
Uncle  Sam,  consisting  of  salt  beef,  pork,  hard 
tack,  beans,  and  canned  butter,  with  an  occa 
sional  taste  of  dried  fruit,  I  was  compelled  to 
admit  my  acquaintance  with  it. 

"  Well,  the  other  night  I  got  to  dreaming  that 
I  was  back  in  New  York,"  resumed  "  Kid."  "  I 
dreamt  I  dropped  into  a  bang-up  restaurant  and 
ordered  beefsteak,  fried  potatoes,  pie,  and— 

A  groan  came  from  one  of  the  gun's  crew, 
who  was  within  hearing,  and  "  Kid  "  lowered  his 
voice. 

"  Hit  him  where  he  lived,  I  guess,"  he  chuck 
led.  "  Well,  I  woke  up  so  hungry  that  I 
couldn't  stand  it  any  longer.  I  looked  up  the 
Jap  and  struck  him  for  a  hand-out.  He  wanted 
a  shirt,  and  I  wanted  something  to  eat,  and  we 
made  a  bargain.  I  brought  him  my  extra  mus 
tering  shirt — it  was  too  large  for  me,  anyway — 
and  he  gave  me  some  bread  and  butter,  cold 
potted  tongue,  three  bananas,  and— 

"For  mercy's  sake,  stow  that,"  muttered  a 
voice  from  back  of  the  gun-mount.  "  Don't  we 
suffer  enough?  " 

"  That's  <  Hand-Out '  Hood,"  grinned  "  Kid." 
"  He's  kicking  because  he  didn't  get  it.     Well, 
I  gave  the  shirt  to  the  Jap,  and  what  did  he  do 
110 


WE   JOIN   SAMPSON'S   FLEET. 

but  lose  it.  My  name  was  on  the  collar,  and 
'  Jimmy  Legs  '  put  me  on  the  report.  The 
'  old  man '  was  easy,  though.  Gave  me  four 
hours  extra  duty.  I  asked  him  if  I  couldn't 
work  it  out  in  the  wardroom  pantry." 

"  Kid's  "  chuckle  came  to  a  sudden  stop,  and 
he  leaned  out  through  the  port. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  I  asked. 

"  Thought  I  saw  something  moving  over  there 
near  the  beach." 

"  Must  have  been  a  shadow." 

"  Guess  so.  Still,  it  looked  like  some  kind  of 
a. " 

Bang! 

The  sharp  report  of  a  rapid-fire  gun  cut  short 
his  words.  Another  followed  almost  instantly, 
then  came  a  regular  volley.  The  effect  on  the 
crew  of  the  "  Yankee  "  was  instantaneous.  The 
men  sleeping  at  the  guns  scrambled  to  their  feet, 
hammocks  were  kicked  out  of  the  way,  and  be 
fore  the  word  to  go  to  general  quarters  was 
passed,  every  member  of  the  crew  was  at  his 
station. 

"  I  thought  I  saw  something  moving  inshore," 
cried  "  Kid,"  as  he  scurried  away. 

"  It's  a  Spanish  torpedo  boat,"  muttered 
"Stump."  "Great  Scott!  just  listen  to  the 
'  New  Orleans.'  She's  firing  like  a  house  afire." 
Ill 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Suddenly  there  came  a  deep,  thunderous  roar. 
It  was  the  voice  of  a  thirteen-inch  gun  on  the 
"  Massachusetts."  Sixty  seconds  later  the  six- 
pounders  on  the  "  Yankee's  "  forecastle  joined 
in  the  chorus,  and  the  action  became  general. 

"  Do  not  fire  without  orders,  men,"  cautioned 
Lieutenant  Greene,  the  officer  in  charge  of  our 
division.  "  Just  take  it  easy  and  bide  your 
time." 

It  was  our  first  experience  in  actual  fighting, 
and  our  anxiety  to  "  let  loose  "  was  almost  over 
whelming.  We  were  held  to  our  stations  so 
rigidly  that  but  few  glimpses  could  be  caught 
of  the  outside.  The  "  New  Orleans,"  on  our 
starboard,  was  still  rattling  away. 

Notwithstanding  our  own  inaction  (the  gun 
deck  battery  was  not  used),  there  was  a  certain 
exhilaration  in  even  listening  to  the  sounds  of 
conflict,  and  the  eager,  tense  faces  surrounding 
the  guns  reflected  in  the  dim  light  of  the  deck 
lanterns  such  a  fierce  desire  to  fight  that  they 
were  absolutely  transfigured. 

"  Can't  stand  this  much  longer,"  muttered 
"  Hay,"  the  second  captain,  as  a  peculiarly 
vicious  report  came  from  the  direction  of  the 
"  Massachusetts."  "  Why  don't  they  give  a  fel 
low  a  chance? " 

"  Steady,  men,"  admonished  Lieutenant 
113 


"THE  SIX-POUNDERS  ON  THE  'YANKEE'S'  FORECASTLE 
JOINED  IN  THE  CHORUS  "  (page  112). 


WE   JOIN   SAMPSON'S   FLEET. 

Greene.     "  Don't  be  impatient.     Our  turn  will 
come  soon.     Steady!  " 

A  turn  of  the  hull — we  were  under  way  at 
half  speed — brought  the  land  on  the  port  bow 
just  then.  The  moon  suddenly  emerged  from 
behind  the  clouds,  and  we  who  were  nearest 
the  port,  distinctly  saw  a  long,  black  object  fade 
into  the  obscurity  of  the  coast  almost  directly 
under  Morro  Castle. 

"  She's  escaped!  "  groaned  "  Stump."  "'It's 
the  torpedo  boat,  and  she  is  safe  again." 

As  if  to  prove  the  truth  of  his  words  the  guns 
on  the  "  J^ew  Orleans  "  and  "  Massachusetts  " 
became  silent;  then  word  was  sent  below  to  "  se 
cure."  Our  first  action  was  disappointing,  but 
there  was  little  grumbling.  We  knew  full  well 
that  momentous  events  were  bound  to  occur  be 
fore  long. 

The  following  morning,  shortly  after  day 
break,  the  torpedo  boat  "Porter"  steamed  along 
side.  Her  coming  created  some  excitement,  and 
the  "  Yankee's  "  crew  promptly  lined  the  rail 
ing. 

"What's  that  object  on  the  deck?"  asked 
"  Stump,"  pointing  to  a  long  brass  cylinder  lying 
abaft  the  after  conning  tower. 

"  It's  a  torpedo,  but  not  like  those  used  in 
our  navy,"  replied  "  Hay." 
8  113 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Captain  Brownson  leaned  over  the  end  of  the 
bridge  and  waved  his  hand  to  Lieutenant  Fre 
mont,  the  "  Porter's  "  commander.  The  latter 
was  smiling,  and  as  we  watched,  he  made  a  ges 
ture  toward  the  mysterious  brass  cylinder. 

"  See  that  thing,  Brownson? "  he  called  out. 

The  captain  nodded. 

"  It  almost  paid  you  a  visit  last  night." 

"What " 

"  We  picked  it  up  near  shore  this  morning  and 
sunk  another.  That  Spanish  torpedo  boat  made 
a  great  attempt  to  sink  one  of  our  ships,  and,  if 
I  am  not  mistaken,  the  '  Yankee '  was  her  in 
tended  prey.  Congratulations." 

As  the  "  Porter  "  steamed  away  we  felt  very 
much  like  congratulating  ourselves.  This  was 
grim  war  of  a  certainty.  Like  the  boy  who  was 
blown  a  mile  in  a  cyclone  without  injury,  we 
experienced  a  certain  pride  that  we  really  had 
been  in  danger. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  a  signal 
was  seen  on  the  flagship.  It  was  read  at  once, 
and  immediately  the  boatswain's  mate  passed  a 
call  that  sent  a  thrill  of  anticipation  through  us. 
It  was : 

"All  hands  clear  ship  for  action!  " 


114 


;  CLEAII  SHIP  FOR  ACTION  ! "  (page  115). 


CHAPTER   IX. 

CLEAR   SHIP   FOB  ACTION. 

The  boatswain's  mate's  shrill  piping  and  the 
long  drawn  out  cry,  "  All  hands  clear  ship  for 
action!  "  was  not  entirely  unexpected.  An  un 
usual  activity  on  the  part  of  the  signal  men  on 
the  flagship  "  New  York  "  had  not  escaped  our 
notice,  and  when  the  summons  to  prepare  for 
battle  echoed  through  the  "  Yankee's  "  decks  it 
found  us  in  readiness  for  prompt  obedience. 

At  the  time  the  call  sounded  a  number  of  us 
were  standing  in  the  port  waist  idly  watching  the 
fleet  and  the  shore.  "  Bill,"  a  member  of  the 
powder  division,  whose  father  is  a  prominent 
real  estate  broker  of  New  York,  and  whose  great 
talent  is  for  practical  joking  and  general  fun 
making,  was  telling  a  story.  As  we  scattered  at 
the  summons,  he  started  below  with  me.  Even 
the  circumstances  could  not  prevent  him  follow 
ing  his  hobby,  and  he  whispered  as  we  hurried 
along : 

"  Say,  Euss,  this  reminds  me  of  a  good  story 
115 


A   QUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

I  once  heard.  There  was  a  man  who  was  too 
lazy  to  live  and  the  neighbors  finally  decided  to 
bury  him.  So  they  took  him  out  to  the  village 
graveyard  one  morning  before  day  and — 

"  Here,  you  men,  pass  this  mess  chest  be 
low,"  interrupted  an  officer,  beckoning  to  us. 
"  Bill "  grasped  one  end  of  the  object  indicated 
and  lugged  it  to  the  hatch. 

"  They  took  the  lazy  man  to  the  village  grave 
yard,  as  I  was  saying,"  resumed  "  Bill,"  "  and 
they  buried  him  up  to  his  neck  in  the  earth. 
Then  they  hid  back  of  tombstones  and— 

"  Less  talking  there,  men,"  exclaimed  the 
navigator,  hurrying  past  us.  "  You  '  heroes  ' 
do  too  much  yarning  to  suit  me.  Get  those 
things  below  at  once.  Shake  it  up." 

"  They  are  in  an  almighty  hurry,"  grumbled 
"Bill."  "The  forts  won't  move.  They'll  be 
there  to-morrow,  I  guess.  Well,  as  I  was  say 
ing,  the  villagers  concealed  themselves  behind 
convenient  tombstones  and  waited  to  see  what 
the  lazy  man  would  do  when  he  woke  up.  By 
and  by  day  broke,  and  just  as  the  sun  gilded  the 
windows  of  the  old  church  the  fellow  who  was 
buried  up  to  his  neck " 

"  Chase  those  mess  chests  below,  bullies," 
called  out  the  boatswain's  mate,  dropping  down 
the  ladder  a  few  feet  away.  "  Lively  there ;  the 
116 


CLEAR   SHIP  FOR  ACTION. 

'  old  man  '  wants  to  break  a  record.  When  you 
have  finished,  hustle  to  the  oil  and  paint  lockers 
and  help  carry  all  inflammable  material  to  the 
spar  deck." 

For  several  minutes  "  Bill "  worked  away  in 
silence.  Between  us  we  managed  to  lower  a 
number  of  chests  into  the  hold  where  they  would 
be  out  of  the  way;  then  we  disposed  of  more 
objects  liable  to  produce  unwelcome  splinters, 
and  finally  we  started  toward  the  paint  locker. 

The  gun  deck  presented  a  scene  of  the  most 
intense  activity.  The  process  of  clearing  ship 
for  action  requires  the  united  efforts  of  the  entire 
crew.  On  vessels  of  the  regular  service,  such  as 
the  "  !N"ew  York  "  or  "  Indiana,"  where  every 
thing  has  been  constructed  with  a  view  to  the 
needs  of  battle,  the  work  is  thoroughly  system 
atized  and  comparatively  easy.  The  "  Yankee," 
being  a  merchant  steamer  hastily  converted  into 
a  vessel  of  war,  presented  greater  difficulties. 

However,  the  crew  was  fairly  familiar  with 
its  duties  and  the  work  progressed  at  a  rapid  rate. 
When  "  Bill  "  and  I  reached  the  paint  locker  we 
.found  several  others  preparing  to  convey  the  oil 
to  the  deck.  It  was  a  momentary  respite,  and 
"  Bill  "  took  advantage  of  it. 

"  When  the  sun  rose  the  fellows  hiding  be 
hind  the  tombstones  saw  the  lazy  man  open  his 
117 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

eyes,"  he  resumed  hurriedly.  "  He  looked 
around  and  took  in  all  the  details  of  the  scene, 
the  old  church  with  the  windows  glowing  redly, 
the  weeping  willows  shaking  and  trembling  in 
the  crisp  morning  breeze,  the  rows  of  sod-covered 
mounds,  the  crumbling  tombstones,  and  on  one 
side  the  old  rickety  fence  marking  the  passing 
of  the  road.  All  this  he  saw  and  then 

"  Hear  the  news,  fellows? "  interrupted  the 
"  Kid,"  suddenly  approaching.  "  We  are  going 
to — what's  the  matter,  '  Bill '  ?  " 

For  "  Bill "  had  caught  him  by  the  slack  of 
the  shirt  and  one  arm  and  was  hustling  him 
along  the  deck.  The  "  Kid,"  looking  aggrieved, 
went  his  way,  and  "  Bill  "  returned. 

"  As  I  was  saying,"  he  continued  calmly;  "the 
lazy  fellow  saw  all  those  things,  then  he  threw 
back  his  head  and  laughed  and  laughed  until  the 
tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks.  '  Whoop !  '  he 
cried,  '  this  is  the  best  piece  of  luck  I've  struck 
yet.  Hurray!  blamed  if  it  ain't  the  resurrection 
day  and  I'm  the  first  feller  above  ground. 
Whoop!  '  " 

After  I  had  finished  laughing  I  picked  up  a 
can  of  oil  and  asked: 

"  Where's  the  similarity, '  Bill '  ?  It's  a  good 
story,  but  you  said  this  reminded  you  of  it." 

"Humph!  aren't  we  going  to  see  the  resur- 
118 


CLEAR   SHIP   FOR   ACTION. 

rection  of  some  of  these  old  Spanish,  fossils 
around  here  to-day?  "  "  Bill  "  demanded.  "And 
aren't  we  the  first  volunteer  force  on  the  spot? 
I  guess  that  makes  the  story  apropos." 

As  the  "  Yankee  "  was  the  first  vessel  manned 
by  Naval  Reserves  to  reach  the  scene  of  hos 
tilities,  I  could  not  deny  "  Bill's  "  claim.  See 
ing  the  success  of  one  story,  he  was  on  the  point 
of  telling  another,  when  word  came  to  hasten 
the  clearing  of  the  ship  for  action,  and  we  were 
compelled  to  devote  our  energies  to  the  work  in 
hand. 

The  decks  were  sanded — a  precaution  that 
made  more  than  one  wonder  if  the  spilling  of 
blood  was  really  anticipated;  all  boats  and  spare 
booms  were  covered  with  canvas  to  prevent  the 
scattering  of  splinters,  the  steel  hatch  covers 
were  closed  down,  hammocks  were  broken  out  of 
the  racks  and  made  to  serve  as  an  added  protec 
tion  to  the  forward  wheel-house,  and  everything 
possible  done  to  make  the  ship  fit  for  action. 

The  time  taken  to  gain  this  end  did  not  ex 
ceed  ten  minutes,  which  was  almost  a  record. 
Signals  were  displayed  stating  that  we  were  in 
readiness,  then  all  hands  were  called  to  general 
quarters.  As  we  hurried  to  our  stations  I  saw 
the  entire  blockading  fleet  moving  slowly  shore 
ward. 

119 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD    THE   "YANKEE." 

"  We  are  going  to  bombard  the  Dagoes  this 
trip  for  sure,"  observed  the  first  captain  of  Num 
ber  Eight  as  we  lined  up.  "  I  see  their  finish." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure,"  said  "Stump."  "  There's 
many  a  slip  between  the  muzzle  and  the  target. 
Maybe  we  won't  do  much  after  all.  Just  to 
make  it  interesting  I'll  bet  you  a  dinner  at  Del's 
that  we  will  only  chuck  a  bluff.  What  d'ye 
say? " 

"  Done,  if  you  make  it  for  the  whole  ship's 
company,"  chuckled  the  first  captain. 

"  Stump  "  shook  his  head. 

"  A  dinner  at  Del's  for  over  two  hundred 
hungry  Reserves,  and  on  a  salary  of  $35  per 
month.  Nope.  Not  on  your  life." 

"  Cast  loose  and  provide,"  came  the  order. 

There  were  a  few  moments  of  rapid  work, 
then  the  battery  was  reported  in  readiness  for 
firing.  Through  the  open  port  we  could  catch 
a  glimpse  of  the  other  vessels  of  the  fleet,  and 
the  spectacle  formed  by  the  low-lying  battle 
ships,  the  massive  cruisers,  and  the  smaller,  but 
equally  defiant  gunboats,  was  one  long  to  be 
remembered. 

Every  ship  was  cleared  for  business.  On  the 
vessels  of  the  u  Oregon  "  class  nothing  could  be 
seen  but  the  gray  steel  of  turrets  and  super 
structure.  The  "  New  York  "  and  the  "  Brook- 
120 


CLEAR  SHIP  FOR  ACTION. 

lyn  "  were  similarly  cleared.  On  the  bridges 
could  be  seen  groups  of  officers,  but  the  decks 
were  empty.  Every  man  was  at  his  gun. 

The  ships  steamed  in  to  within  a  short  dis 
tance  of  the  beach  and  then  formed  a  semicircle, 
the  heavier  vessels  taking  the  centre  where  they 
could  directly  face  the  forts.  The  little  "  Dol 
phin  "  was  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  line,  with 
the  "  Yankee  "  next. 

When  within  easy  range  of  the  guns  ashore 
there  ensued  a  wait.  ISTo  signal  to  fire  came 
from  the  flagship,  and  there  did  not  seem  to  be 
any  move  toward  opening  the  battle  by  the  forts. 
We  stood  at  our  guns  in  silence,  awaiting  the 
word,  until  finally  patience  ceased  to  be  a 
virtue. 

"  Seems  to  me  they  ought  to  do  something," 
murmured  "  Stump,"  glancing  shoreward  rather 
discontentedly.  "Ain't  we  fair  targets?" 

"Why  don't  the  admiral  tell  us  to  sail  in?" 
queried  the  first  captain  in  the  same  tone.  "  The 
day  is  fine  and  the  range  is  good.  There's  the 
beggars  plain  enough  with  their  measly  old  forts. 
What  more  is  wanted?  " 

"  Wish  they  would  pipe  down  and  light  the 
smoking  lamp,"  said  the  second  loader.  "  It 
would  be  a  great  deal  more  fun  than  standing 
here  like  a  dummy." 

121 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

The  sun  had  passed  beyond  the  top  of  the 
hills,  but  the  light  was  sufficiently  strong  to 
bring  out  in  plain  relief  the  batteries  guarding 
the  entrance  to  Santiago.  Grim  Morro  Castle 
appeared  almost  deserted.  The  red  and  yellow 
banner  of  Spain  flaunted  lazily  from  the  ram 
parts,  but  only  here  and  there  could  be  distin 
guished  the  little  black  dots  representing  the 
soldiers  on  guard.  The  earthworks  and  smaller 
forts  were  equally  idle. 

"  We  won't  get  anything  out  of  them  to-day," 
remarked  "  Stump  "  decisively.  "  It  must  be 
one  of  their  eternal  feast  days  when  they  won't 
even  fight." 

"  There  goes  a  signal  on  the  flagship,"  ex 
claimed  the  first  loader,  pointing  out  the  port. 
"  I'll  bet  a  dollar  it's " 

"  The  signal  to  pull  out  again,"  groaned 
"  Stump."  "  Didn't  I  say  so  ?  " 

"  The  admiral  intends  to  postpone  the  bom 
bardment  for  some  reason,"  I  ventured.  "  Per 
haps  it's  too  late  in  the  day." 

Whatever  the  cause,  it  was  now  plain  that  we 
would  not  engage  the  forts.  In  obedience  to 
the  signals  on  the  "  New  York,"  which  were  re 
peated  by  the  "  Brooklyn,"  the  whole  fleet  re 
turned  to  the  former  station  several  miles  from 
shore.  The  word  to  "  secure  "  was  passed  and 
122 


CLEAR   SHIP  FOR  ACTION. 

presently  the  "  Yankee  "  had  resumed  its  former 
condition  of  armed  watchfulness. 

That  evening  after  supper  there  was  a  gather 
ing  of  the  choice  spirits  of  the  crew  in  the  vicin 
ity  of  the  after  wheel-house.  "  Dye,"  the  chief 
member  of  the  "  Yankee's  "  choir,  started  one  of 
"  Steve's  "  little  songs,  which,  although  rendered 
very  quietly  in  deference  to  the  rules  observed 
on  blockade,  was  greatly  enjoyed.  The  air  was 
"  Tommy  Atkins,"  and  the  words  ran  as  follows: 

"  They  made  us  sign  our  papers  for  a  year, 
And  dressed  us  in  a  natty  sailor's  suit  ; 
They  taught  us  how  to  heave  the  lead  and  steer, 

And  how  to  handle  guns  and  how  to  shoot. 
We  fancied  we'd  be  leaving  right  away 
To  capture  prizes  on  the  Spanish  Main, 
And  be  raising  merry  hades 
With  the  dusky  Spanish  laddies, 
And  within  a  month  come  steaming  home  again. 

CHORUS. 

"  But  instead  we  ran  a  ferry 

All  along  the  Jersey  shore, 
And  our  turns  were  empty  very, 

And  our  hands  were  awful  sore. 
We  would  give  our  bottom  dollar 

Just  to  see  a  cable  car, 
Just  to  hear  a  newsboy  holler, 
Just  to  smoke  a  good  cigar. 

"  In  times  of  peace  we  do  not  have  to  sweep 
Or  carry  coal  or  stand  on  watch  all  night  ; 
123 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD    THE   "JANKEE." 

We  do  not  have  to  scrub  down  decks  or  keep 
Our  toothbrush   chained,    or  brasswork  shining 

bright. 
We  never  washed  our  faces  in  a  pail, 

We  never  heard  the  fog-horn's  awful  shriek, 
We  never  ate  salt  horse, 
We  combed  our  hair,  of  course, 
And  we  never  wore  our  stockings  for  a  week." 
CHORUS. 

"  Suppose  you  ( heroes '  pipe  down  there," 
came  from  the  darkness  just  then.  "  What  do 
you  think  this  is,  a  concert  hall? " 

"  It's  '  Cutlets/  "  muttered  "  Stump."  "  He 
would  like  to  make  the  ship  a  funeral  barge." 

We  sat  in  silence  for  a  while,  watching  the 
retreating  form  of  the  navigator  passing  for 
ward;  then  Tom  Le Valley,  a  zealous  member  of 
Number  Nine  gun's  crew,  spoke  up. 

"  Do  you  see  those  two  lights  twinkling  over 
there  about  where  the  '  Dolphin '  should  be, 
fellows?  "  he  asked. 

Some  one  yawned  and  nodded. 

"  Reminds  you  of  a  story,  eh?  "  asked  "  Bill," 
who  was  leaning  against  the  rail.  "  Well,  come 
to  think  of  it  I  remember  a " 

"  Several  years  ago  I  happened  to  be  a  patient 
in  a  hospital  over  in  Brooklyn/'  continued  Tom. 
"  I  was  almost  well  and  about  to  leave  the  place 

when  a  man  in  the  upper  ward " 

124 


CLEAR   SHIP  FOR   ACTION. 

"  I  had  a  cousin  once  who  used  to  travel  a 
great  deal/'  interrupted  "  Bill,"  taking  a  seat  on 
the  deck  with  his  back  against  a  bitt.  "  One 
time  he  happened  to  be  in  a  small  town  just 
outside  of  Dublin,  Ireland.  The  inn  was 
crowded  and  he  had  to  take  up  his  quarters  with 
a  family  who  occasionally  rented  out  rooms.  A 
circus  and  menagerie  was  giving  exhibitions  in 
the  city,  and  one  night  the  biggest  monkey  es 
caped  from  its  cage  and  skipped  out.  They 
instituted  a  search  at  once,  but  the  animal  could 
not  be  found.  Well,  it  happened  that  the 
family  with  whom  my  cousin  was  stopping 
consisted  of  father  and  mother  and  one  son 
about  ten  years  old.  The  boy,  whose  name 
was  Mike,  was  a  regular  limb.  Always  in  mis 
chief  and 

"  As  I  was  saying,"  broke  in  Tom  at  this  junc 
ture,  "  when  I  was  about  to  leave  the  hospital,  a 
man  in  the  upper  ward  concluded  to  depart  this 
world  for  a  better  one.  It  happened  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and,  as  was  usual  in  such 
cases,  the  nurse  on  watch  was  supposed  to  get  sev 
eral  convalescent  patients  and  a  stretcher  and 
carry  the  body  down  to  a  little  wooden  house  a 
hundred  yards  from  the  main  building.  The 
nurse,  with  whom  I  was  on  friendly  terms,  had 
an  important  case  to  attend  to  just  then  and 
125 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

he  asked  me  if  I  wouldn't  take  charge  of  the 
stretcher  party.  Well,  we  started  down  the 
yard,  I  leading  the  way  with  a  lantern,  and  we 
finally  reached  the  little  house.  We  entered 
and-  -" 

"  Some  people  think  they  are  the  only  story 
tellers  in  the  group,"  remarked  "  Bill "  with 
mild  sarcasm  at  that  interesting  point.  "  To  tell 
a  good  story  with  a  point  to  it  is  an  art.  Now, 
as  I  was  saying,  this  boy  Mike  would  rather  get 
into  mischief  than  eat  a — what's  the  Irish  for 
potato? " 

"  Spud,"  suggested  "  Hod." 

"  Murphy,"  said  "  Stump." 

"  Well,  it's  immaterial.  Anyway  the  boy 
was  full  of  mischief.  The  night  the  monk  got 
away  he  had  been  sent  to  bed  early  because  of 
some  trick  he  had  played.  He  slep"  t  in  a  little 
room  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  leading  to  the 
second  story.  His  window  opened  on  a  lean-to 
shed,  and,  as  it  was  a  warm  evening,  the  sash 
was  raised.  Shortly  after  the  youngster  got  to 
bed,  something  slipped  over  the  back  fence,  and 
after  prowling  about  the  yard  for  a  moment, 
climbed  upon  the  shed  and  through  the  window 
into  the  room  where  Mike  was  just  in  the  act  of 
falling  asleep.  The  thing,  which  was  about  the 
youngster's  size,  crept  over  the  floor  toward  the 
126 


CLEAR   SHIP  FOR  ACTION. 

bed,  and  then  with  a  spring,  landed  squarely 
upon — 

"  Some  people  use  more  wind  in  telling  a  story 
than  would  fill  a  maintop-sail,"  drawled  Tom. 
"  There's  nothing  like  getting  at  your  subject. 
Now,  when  we  reached  the  little  wooden  house 
we  entered,  and  after  accomplishing  our  errand, 
started  back  to  the  main  building.  While  on 
the  way  it  suddenly  occurred  to  me  that  I  had 
forgotten  to  close  the  door  between  the  two 
rooms  of  which  the  house  was  composed.  There 
was  an  open  window  in  the  front  room,  and  there 
was  no  telling  what  might  get  in.  I  told  the 
fellows  to  go  on  and  I  tasked  back  to  the  little 
house.  I  still  carried  the  lantern,  but  just  as  I 
reached  the  door,  it  went  out.  I  tell  you,  I  felt 
like  letting  the  whole  thing  go,  but  I  didn't 
want  to  get  the  nurse  into  trouble.  So  I  un 
locked  the  front  door,  opened  it,  and,  Great 
Scott!  I  saw " 

"  There's  everything  in  choosing  a  subject 
when  you  want  to  tell  a  good  story,"  calmly  in 
terrupted  Bill.  "  This  story  I  am  trying  to 
tell  has  a  laugh  in  it.  You  don't  have  to  keep 
your  hair  down  with  both  hands  and  feel  the 
cold  chills  playing  tag  up  and  down  your  spinal 
column,  like  you  have  to  do  when  some  people 
are  trying  to  yarn.  "Well,  when  the  thing  that 
127 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

had  crept  through  the  window  landed  on  the 
bed,  Mike  let  out  a  yell  that  could  have  been 
heard  in  Dublin.  '  Ow-w-w ! '  he  whooped, 
scrambling  to  the  floor.  He  caught  one  sight  of 
the  visitor,  and  then  made  a  dash  for  the  window 
and  slid  clear  to  the  ground,  leaving  pieces  of 
shirt  and  his  epidermis  on  every  nail  on  the  shed 
roof.  The  noise  he  made  roused  the  father  and 
mother  below,  and  the  latter  started  for  the 
stairs.  '  That  b'ye  '11  be  the  death  av  me  yet/ 
she  complained.  '  I'll  go  up  and  give  him  a 
slap.'  She  lost  no  time  in  reaching  the  little 
room,  and  when  she  entered  she  saw  the  bed 
with  what  she  thought  was  Mike  under  the 
clothes.  '  Mike,  ye  rascal,'  she  exclaimed,  '  turn 
down  the  sheet  this  minute.  It's  mesilf  as  '11 
tache  ye  to  raise  a  noise  at  this  time  o'  night. 
For  shame,  ye  spalpane!  What,  ye  won't  obey 
your  own  mother?  I'll  show  ye.  Take  that!  ' 
She  brought  her  hand  down  upon  the  figure  out 
lined  under  the  sheet  with  a  resounding  whack. 
The  next  second  the  thing  leaped  from  the  bed 
squarely  into  her  arms.  t  Wow !  Murther ! 
Mike,  what  have  ye  been  doing? '  she  howled, 
adding  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  '  Patrick,  Pat 
rick,  come  quick!  The  b'ye  has  got  hold  of 
your  hair  restorer.  He's  all  covered  with  hair 
and  he's  gone  daft.  Murther!  '  With  that  the 
128 


CLEAR   SHIP  FOR  ACTION. 

father  made  for  the  stairs  as  fast  as  his  legs  could 
carry  him.     Just  as  he  got  to  the  top " 

"  The  sight  I  saw  when  I  opened  the  outer 
door  of  the  little  house  almost  knocked  me  silly," 
broke  in  Tom,  rather  excitedly.  "  There  in  the 
other  room  gleamed " 

"  When  Patrick  reached  the  second  floor,"  in 
terrupted  Bill,  raising  his  voice,  "  he  felt 
something  strike  him  full  in  the  chest;  then  two 
hairy  arms  clasped  him  about  the  throat 
and " 

"  In  the  other  room  gleamed  two 

"  Oh,  give  a  fellow  a  chance,  will  you?  "  cried 
Bill.  "  You  want  the  whole  floor.  What  do 
you  think " 

"Sh-h-h!  here  comes  the  executive  officer," 
hastily  whispered  "  Stump."  "  We've  made  too 
much  racket.  Let's  go  into  the  after  wheel- 
house." 

"  We  must  be  quiet  about  it,"  spoke  up 
the  "  Kid,"  warningly.  "  '  Cutlets  '  is  chasing 
around  to-night,  and  if  he  catches  us  in  there 
he'll  raise  Cain." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Bill.  "  And  I'll  finish 
that  story  if  I  have  to  stay  up  all  night." 

"  Same  here,"  retorted  Tom,  with  evident  de 
termination.  "  Come  on." 

And  we  all  followed  the  twain, 
9  129 


CHAPTER   X. 

WE    BOMBARD    SANTIAGO   DE   CUBA. 

The  after  wheel-house  on  board  the  "Yankee" 
was  a  round  structure  of  steel  built  on  the  spar 
deck  directly  over  the  counter.  It  contained  a 
steering  wheel  to  be  used  in  case  the  wheel  in 
the  pilot-house  should  be  disabled.  When  the 
chill  winds  of  May  and  early  June  were  blowing 
off  the  northern  coast  during  the  "  Yankee's  " 
period  of  cruising  in  that  vicinity,  the  after 
wheel-house  formed  a  snug  and  comfortable  re 
treat  for  the  men  of  the  watch. 

It  was  freely  used  for  that  purpose  until  the 
navigator  chanced  to  discover  the  fact.  He 
forthwith  issued  orders  forbidding  any  person  to 
enter  the  house,  except  on  duty.  His  order,  like 
many  others,  received  respectful  consideration — 
when  he  happened  to  be  looking.  In  the  pres 
ent  case  we  were  so  eager  to  hear  the  conclusion 
of  the  stories  being  related  by  the  rival  yarn- 
spinners,  that  we  were  fain  to  brave  "  Cutlets  ' 
130 


WE  BOMBARD   SANTIAGO   DE   CUBA. 

displeasure.  Led  by  Bill  and  Tom,  we  piled 
inside. 

"  What  I  was  trying  to  say,"  spoke  up  the 
former,  getting  the  first  opening,  ''was  that' 
when  Patrick  reached  the  top  of  the  stairs,  some 
thing  struck  him  full  in  the  chest,  and  two  hairy 
arms  were  thrown  about  his  neck.  The  sudden 
shock  sent  him  tumbling  backward,  and  he  fell 
kerflop !  down  the  steps.  Up  above,  his  wife  was 
howling  to  beat  the  band,  '  Mike,  Mike,  ye  spal- 
pane!  You  do  be  killing  your  poor  father. 
Och!  why  did  I  live  to  see  this  day?'  In  the 
meantime  the  real  Mike — for  the  one  inside  was 
the  escaped  monk  from  the  menagerie — had 
scooted  for  the  police.  They  came,  a  half 
dozen  of  them,  and  as  they  entered  the  front 
door " 

"  Time !  "  chuckled  u  Stump."  "  Give  Tom  a 
chance." 

"  As  I  opened  the  front  door  of  the  little 
wooden  house  where  we  had  placed  the  body," 
said  Tom,  prompt  to  take  advantage  of  the  op 
portunity,  "  I  saw  two  gleaming  eyes  glaring  at 
me  from  the  inner  room.  I  tell  you,  my  heart 
fell  clean  down  into  my  boots." 

"  Should  think  it  would,"  muttered  the 
"  Kid,"  peering  about  the  wheel-house  with  a 
shiver.  "TJgh!" 

131 


A  GUNNER  ABOARD  THE  "  YANKEE." 

"  I  dropped  the  lantern,"  resumed  Tom,  "  and 
staggered  back.  Just  then  a — 

"  Half  dozen  policemen  entered  the  front 
door  just  as  Patrick  and  the  supposed  Mike 
reached  the  bottom  of  the  stairs,"  broke  in 
Bill,  taking  up  the  thread  of  his  story.  "  Well, 
when  the  Irish  coppers  saw  Pat  with  the  monk 
hanging  around  his  neck  they  thought  the  old 
Nick  had  him.  They  started  to  run,  but  the 
old  woman  reached  the  lower  floor  in  time  to 
see  both  Mike  and  the  monkey.  She  grabbed 
a  broom,  but  the  monk  slipped  through  the  front 
door,  and — 

"  That's  the  end  of  your  story.  And  a  good 
job  it  is  too,"  remarked  Tom. 

"  It  is  better  than  having  no  end,"  retorted 
Bill.  "  You  spin  out  a  yarn  to  beat  the  band." 

"It's  getting  late,"  spoke  up  "Hod,"  yawning. 
"  If  you  fellows  are  going  to  chew  the  rag  all 
night  I " 

"  Only  a  word  more,"  interrupted  Tom.  "  As 
I  staggered  back  I  fell  into  the  arms  of  the 
nurse,  who  had  come  down  to  see  what  kept  me. 
I  explained  in  a  hurry,  and  he  lit  a  match.  We 
both  went  in  and  discovered— 

"  Sh-h-h !     Get  out  of  here,  you  fellows,"  sud 
denly  spoke  up  a  voice  at  the  door  on  the  star 
board  side.     "  Here  comes  '  Cutlets  '  !  " 
133 


WE  BOMBARD   SANTIAGO   DE   CUBA. 

There  was  a  scramble  for  the  opposite  door, 
and  in  much  less  time  than  is  taken  in  the  tell 
ing,  the  wheel-house  was  empty.  We  huddled 
in  the  shadows  for  a  moment;  then  dodged  for 
ward.  As  we  reached  the  hatch  I  heard  the 
"Kid"  ask  Tom: 

"  Say,  what  was  it  you  saw?  Tell  a  fellow, 
won't  you?  " 

"  Two  brass  knobs  on  an  old  chest,"  was  the 
calm  reply. 

"Huh!" 

The  following  day  being  Sunday,  was  given 
over  to  rest  and  recreation  and  the  writing  of 
letters,  until  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  day 
dawned  clear  but  very  warm.  There  was  very 
little  breeze  stirring,  and  the  spar  and  gun 
decks,  where  we  spent  the  most  of  our  time,  were 
almost  stifling.  "  Corking  mats,"  as  they  are 
termed  in  naval  parlance,  were  very  much  in 
evidence.  The  sailor's  "  corking  mat  "  is  a  strip 
of  canvas  which  he  spreads  upon  the  deck  to 
protect  his  clothing  from  the  tarry  seams,  when 
he  feels  the  necessity  for  a  siesta  or  nap,  which 
is  quite  often. 

Toward  evening  we  were  put  to  work  at  a 

task  which  gave  welcome  promise  of  coming 

action.       Under  the  direction  of  the  executive 

officer  we  broke  out  a  number  of  bags  of  coal 

133 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

from  the  orlop  deck  and  piled  them  five  deep, 
and  about  the  same  number  in  height,  around 
the  steam  steering  engine  under  the  forward 
wheel-house.  This  was  to  give  added  protection 
to  a  vital  part  of  the  ship. 

The  work  was  hard  and  unpleasant,  especially 
to  men  who  had  not  spent  the  major  portion  of 
their  lives  at  manual  labor,  but  it  was  one  of 
those  disagreeable  fortunes  of  war  to  which  we 
were  growing  accustomed,  and  we  toiled  without 
comment.  That  night  when  we  turned  in,  that 
is,  those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  the 
"  off  watch,"  it  was  generally  rumored  about  the 
decks  that  the  fleet  would  surely  bombard  early 
the  following  morning. 

About  two  bells  (five  o'clock)  the  different 
guns'  crews,  who  were  sleeping  at  the  batteries, 
were  called  by  the  boatswain's  mates,  and  told 
to  go  to  breakfast  at  once. 

"  It's  coming,"  exclaimed  "  Hay,"  joyfully. 
"  The  old  '  Yankee  '  will  see  her  real  baptism  of 
fire  to-day.  '  Kid,'  you  young  rat,  you'll  have 
a  chance  to  dodge  shells  before  you  are  many 
hours  older." 

"  You  may  get  a  chance  to  stop  one,"  retorted 
the  boy. 

After  a  hurried  meal,  word  to  clear  ship  for 
action  was  passed,  and  the  "  Yankee's  "  boys  set 
134 


WE  BOMBARD   SANTIAGO   DE   CUBA. 

to  work  with  a  vim.  The  task  was  done  more 
thoroughly  than  usual.  The  boats  and  wooden 
hatches  were  covered  with  canvas,  everything 
portable  that  would  splinter  was  sent  below, 
the  decks  were  sanded,  and  all  the  inflammable 
oils  were  placed  in  a  boat  and  set  adrift  for  the 
"  Justin,"  one  of  the  colliers,  to  pick  up. 

The  day  seemed  fitted  for  the  work  we  had  in 
hand.  The  sky  was  overcast,  and  occasionally 
a  rain  squall  would  sweep  from  the  direction  of 
the  land,  and  envelop  the  fleet.  It  was  not  a 
cold,  raw  rain,  like  that  encountered  in  more 
northern  latitudes  in  early  summer,  but  a  drip 
ping  of  moisture  peculiarly  grateful  after  the 
heat  of  the  previous  day. 

Shortly  before  seven  o'clock,  the  members  of 
the  crew  were  in  readiness  for  business.  The 
majority  had  removed  their  superfluous  cloth 
ing,  and  it  was  a  stirring  sight  to  watch  the  dif 
ferent  guns'  crews,  stripped  to  the  waist  and 
barefooted,  standing  at  their  stations.  There 
was  something  in  the  cool,  practical  manner  in 
which  each  man  prepared  for  work  that  prom 
ised  well,  and  it  should  be  said  to  the  everlasting 
credit  of  the  Naval  Reserves  that  they  invariably 
fought  with  the  calmness  and  precision  of  vet 
erans  whenever  they  were  called  upon. 

In  the  present  case,  there  would  have  been 
135 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

some  excuse  for  faint-lieartedness.  The  crew  of 
the  "  Yankee,"  made  up  of  men  whose  previous 
lives  had  been  those  of  absolute  peace,  who  had 
never  heard  a  shot  fired  in  anger  before  their 
arrival  at  Santiago,  who  had  left  home  and  busi 
ness  in  defence  of  the  flag — these  men  went 
about  their  preparations  for  attacking  the  forti 
fications  with  as  little  apparent  concern  as  if  it 
were  simply  a  yachting  trip. 

There  was  no  holding  back,  no  hesitancy,  no 
looks  of  concern  or  anxiety,  but  when  the  signal 
to  advance  inshore  appeared  on  the  "  New 
York,"  at  six  bells  (seven  o'clock),  there  was  a 
feeling  of  relief  that  the  time  of  waiting  was 
over. 

We  were  to  be  in  it  at  last. 

The  flagship's  signal  to  advance  in  formation 
was  obeyed  at  once.  Moving  in  double  column, 
the  fleet  stood  in  toward  the  batteries.  The  first 
line,  as  we  saw  from  the  after  port,  was  composed 
of  the  "  Brooklyn,"  "  Texas,"  "  Massachusetts," 
and  "  Marblehead."  The  line  to  which  the 
"  Yankee  "  was  attached,  included,  besides  that 
vessel,  the  "  New  York,"  "  Oregon,"  "  Iowa," 
and  "  New  Orleans."  When  within  three  thou 
sand  yards  from  shore,  the  first  line  turned 
toward  the  west,  leaving  us  to  steam  in  the  oppo 
site  direction. 

136 


WE   BOMBARD    SANTIAGO   DE    CUBA. 

The  batteries  ashore  could  now  be  plainly  dis 
tinguished.  Morro  Castle,  grim  and  defiant, 
seemed  to  ignore  our  coming,  if  the  absence  of 
life  was  any  proof.  Lower  down  on  the  other 
side  of  the  entrance  where  the  Estrella  and  Cata- 
lena  batteries  were  located,  there  seemed  to  be 
more  activity.  Men  could  also  be  seen  running 
about  in  some  new  batteries  a  little  to  the  east 
ward  of  Morro  Castle.  It  was  evident  to  us  at 
once  that  the  enemy  had  not  anticipated  an  at 
tack  on  such  a  rainy,  windy  day. 

On  swept  the  two  lines  of  ships  without  firing 
a  shot  until  they  formed  a  semicircle,  with  the 
heavier  vessels  directly  facing  the  forts;  then  the 
"  New  York  "  opened  fire  with  one  of  her  heavy 
guns,  the  "  Iowa  "  following  immediately.  At 
this  moment,  7 :45  a.m.,  the  ships  were  arranged 
as  follows,  counting  from  the  right :  "  New 
York,"  "Yankee,"  "New  Orleans,"  "  Massa^ 
chusetts,"  "Oregon,"  "Iowa,"  "Indiana," 
"  Texas,"  "  Marblehead,"  and  "  Brooklyn." 
Guarding  the  extreme  left  were  the  "  Vixen  " 
and  "  Suwanee,"  and  doing  similar  duty  on 
the  other  flank  were  the  "  Dolphin "  and 
"  Porter." 

The  shot  from  the  flagship  was  the  signal  for 
a  general  bombardment.  There  was  no  settled 
order  of  firing,  but  each  ship  just  "  pitched  in," 
137 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

to  use  a  common  expression,  and  banged  away  at 
the  forts  with  every  available  gun. 

The  scene  on  the  gun  deck  of  the  "  Yankee  " 
was  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  When  the  word 
to  commence  firing  reached  us,  we  sprang  to  the 
work  at  once.  Each  crew  paid  strict  attention 
to  its  own  station,  and  the  routine  of  loading  and 
firing  went  on  with  the  regularity  of  clockwork. 
A  number  of  boxes  of  the  fixed  ammunition  had 
been  "  whipped  "  up  from  below  while  we  were 
steaming  into  position,  and  there  was  no  lack  of 
death-dealing  food  for  the  hungry  maws  of  the 
battery. 

Not  much  could  be  seen  of  the  outside  at  first, 
as  the  task  in  hand  claimed  our  strict  attention, 
but  after  a  while  an  occasional  glimpse  was  ob 
tained  of  the  other  ships  and  the  forts.  The 
heavy  battleships,  the  "  Indiana,"  "  Oregon," 
"  Massachusetts,"  "  Iowa,"  and  "  Texas,"  were 
lost  in  the  dense  smoke  of  their  guns.  It  was 
thrilling  to  see  them,  like  moving  clouds,  emit 
ting  streams  of  fire  which  shot  through  the  walls 
of  vapor  like  flashes  of  lightning  athwart  a 
gloomy  sky. 

The  noise  was  terrific.     It  seemed  to  gather 

at  times  in  such  an  overwhelming,  soul-stunning 

clamor  of  sound,  that  the  very  air  was  rent  and 

split    and    shattered,    and    the    senses    refused 

138 


WE  BOMBARD   SANTIAGO   DE   CUBA. 

further  burden.  There  was  no  possibility  of 
hearing  the  human  voice,  save  at  odd  intervals 
when  a  brief  cessation  occurred  in  the  firing. 
Orders  were  transmitted  by  gestures. 

The  smoke  was  thick  and  stifling,  the  saltpetre 
fumes  filling  the  throat  and  lungs,  until  breath 
ing  was  difficult.  The  dense  bank  of  vapor 
enveloping  the  ship  also  rendered  it  almost  im 
possible  to  aim  with  any  accuracy.  We  of 
Number  Eight  gun  were  early  impressed  with 
this  fact,  and  "  Hay,"  the  second  captain,  ex 
claimed  during  a  lull: 

"  It's  that  fellow  in  charge  of  Number  Six. 
He  won't  give  us  any  show.  Just  look  how  he's 
working  his  crew.  Did  you  ever  see  the  beat 
of  it?" 

The  captain  of  Number  Six,  a  broker  of  con 
siderable  note  in  New  York,  a  member  of  the 
Calumet.  Club,  and  the  son  of  a  distinguished 
captain  in  the  Confederate  navy,  was  fighting 
his  gun  with  savage  energy.  Under  his  direc 
tion,  and  inspired  by  a  running  fire  of  comments 
from  him,  the  different  members  of  Number 
Six  crew  were  literally  pouring  a  hail  of  steel 
upon  the  batteries.  The  firing  was  so  rapid, 
in  fact,  that  it  kept  our  port  completely  filled 
with  smoke,  much  to  our  sorrow. 

Notwithstanding  that  fact,  "Hay,"  the  second 
139 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

captain  of  lumber  Eight,  did  such  marvellous 
shooting,  that  word  presently  came  from  Cap 
tain  Brownson  on  the  bridge,  publicly  com 
mending  him.  We  were  correspondingly  elated, 
and  worked  all  the  harder. 

It  was  not  until  we  had  been  firing  some 
time  that  we  began  to  take  particular  note 
of  our  surroundings.  At  first  the  novelty 
of  the  situation  and  a  state  of  excitement, 
natural  under  the  circumstances,  kept  us 
absorbed  in  our  duties,  but  when  it  became 
apparent  that  the  engagement  was  to  be  a 
matter  of  hours — and  also  that  the  Spaniards 
did  not  aim  very  well — we  commenced  to  look 
about. 

One  of  the  first  things  to  strike  me  personally, 
and  it  was  rather  humorous,  was  the  appearance 
of  "  Stump,"  the  second  loader.  Orders  had 
early  been  given  to  avoid  exposing  ourselves  to 
the  enemy's  fire  as  much  as  possible.  "  Stump," 
than  whom  no  more  daring  and  aggressive  man 
could  be  found  on  board,  thought  it  wise  to  obey, 
so  he  crouched  behind  the  gun-mount  and  com 
pressed  himself  so  as  to  be  out  of  range.  From 
this  position  he  had  only  to  reach  out  one  hand 
to  train  the  gun,  which  was  his  special  duty. 
Meanwhile,  he  continually  urged  "  Hay "  to 
keep  on  firing. 

140 


WE   BOMBARD    SANTIAGO   DE    CUBA. 

"  Doesn't  make  any  difference  whether  you 
can  see  or  not,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Shoot  anyway. 
Give  it  to  the  beggars!  That's  the  ticket,  old 
chap.  Now  another.  Whoop !  did  you  see  that 
land?  Ah-h-h!  we  are  the  people." 

As  the  novelty  of  the  scene  gradually  wore 
off  we  began  to  enjoy  it  hugely.  We  pumped 
away  at  the  guns,  commenting  freely  on  the 
enemy's  marksmanship.  We  felt  more  like  a 
party  watching  a  fireworks  display  than  the  crew 
of  a  warship  engaged  in  bombarding  a  number 
of  forts. 

The  two  lines  were  steaming  back  and  forth 
in  front  of  the  batteries,  firing  as  the  guns  would 
bear.  At  first,  Morro  Castle  and  the  smaller 
forts  maintained  a  spirited  fire,  but  finally  their 
response  to  our  fusillade  slackened  considerably, 
and  it  became  evident  that  they  had  been  driven 
from  their  guns. 

The  difference  in  aim  between  the  Spanish 
gunners  and  ours  was  very  perceptible.  Their 
shells  invariably  passed  over  the  ships  or  landed 
short,  and  at  no  time  during  the  engagement 
were  any  of  the  American  vessels  in  imminent 
danger.  This  was  not  due  to  length  of  range 
either,  as  the  lines  were  maintained  at  from  two 
to  four  thousand  yards.  As  Bill  put  it,  "  Any 
Dago  that  can't  hit  a  flock  of  barn  doors  like 
141 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

this  fleet,  had  better  go  back  home  and  hoe 
onions." 

The  ships  of  our  fleet  also  made  better  targets 
than  did  the  batteries  ashore.  It  was  certainly 
easy  to  distinguish  the  position  of  each  vessel,  but 
as  the  Spanish  batteries  were  nearly  all  situated 
a  short  distance  back  from  the  crest  of  the  ridge 
with  a  background  little  different  in  color  from 
that  of  the  battery,  we  found  it  difficult  to  locate 
them  at  times.  Our  elevation  had  to  be  perfect, 
as  with  an  inch  or  two  below  or  above,  the  pro 
jectile  would  either  vanish  in  the  distance  or 
take  effect  on  the  cliffs  below  the  batteries. 

We  of  Number  Eight  gun,  when  the  "  Yan 
kee  "  was  steaming  with  the  starboard  broadside 
bearing,  managed  to  slip  across  the  deck  and 
watch  the  firing  from  the  ports  and  deadlights. 
It  was  really  beautiful  to  see  the  landing  of  the 
great  shells  upon  the  forts  and  surrounding 
earth.  Some  battered  into  the  soft  spots  on  the 
cliffs,  sending  huge  masses  of  dirt  and  debris 
high  into  the  air;  then  when  the  explosion  came, 
there  would  follow  a  great  cloud  of  dust  re 
sembling  the  wavering  smoke  over  a  city  fire. 

Others  struck  the  harder  portions  of  the  cliff, 
bursting  into  a  shower  of  fragments,  each  kick 
ing  up  its  own  pother  of  dirt  and  shattered  rock. 
At  times  a  shell  would  land  in  a  crack  in  the 
143 


WE   BOMBARD    SANTIAGO   DE    CUBA. 

face  of  the  hill,  and  immediately  following 
would  come  an  upheaval  of  stones.  These 
boulders,  many  of  them  of  immense  size,  would 
roll  down  the  slope  and  splash  in  the  water  at 
the  base,  creating  a  series  of  fountain-like  cas 
cades. 

Accompanying  the  display  was  a  continuous 
roar  of  explosion  and  detonation  that  echoed  and 
reechoed  across  the  water  like  the  pealing  of 
tropical  thunder.  In  fact,  it  was  these  noises, 
mingled  with  the  fierce  reports  of  our  guns, 
which  impressed  us  the  most.  Taking  it  all  in 
all,  the  scene  was  spectacular  in  the  extreme. 

u  Boys,"  remarked  No.  7  of  our  crew — "  Mor- 
rie,"  we  called  him — "  this  sight  is  worth  all  the 
coaling  and  standing  watches  and  poor  food 
we  have  had  to  put  up  with.  I  would  experi 
ence  it  all  over  again  just  to  see  this  bombard 
ment." 

And  we  heartily  agreed  with  him. 

After  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  admiral  was 
determined  to  plump  shells  into  the  vicinity  of 
Santiago  until  there  was  nothing  left  to  fire  at. 
There  had  been  a  continuous  outpouring  of  pro 
jectiles  from  the  guns  of  the  fleet  for  over  an 
hour,  yet  that  grim  line  of  gray  steel  fortresses 
still  passed  and  repassed  in  front  of  the  forts. 

It  was  really  growing  monotonous,  when 
143 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

something  occurred  at  the  gun  to  which  I  was 
attached  that  served  to  give  us  an  exciting 
minute  or  two.  "  Hay  "  had  just  fired  a  shot 
which  caught  one  of  the  new  batteries  directly 
in  the  centre.  The  shell  was  extracted,  and 
another  inserted,  but  when  the  second  captain 
pressed  the  electric  firing  lanyard,  there  was  no 
report.  The  shell  had  missed  fire. 

In  an  instant  we  recalled  the  fate  of  the  un 
fortunate  marine  corporal,  and  we  eyed  each 
other  with  something  like  consternation.  It 
was  necessary  to  extract  the  defective  cartridge, 
and  the  action  would  certainly  be  accompanied 
with  grave  peril. 

"We  turned  to  "  Stump."  The  disagreeable 
duty  was  his. 

"  It's  got  to  be  done,  fellows,"  he  said,  steadily 
enough.  "  The  cartridge  must  come  out  some 
time.  Stand  back  there  and  I'll— 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  interrupted  the  officer  of 
the  division.  "  We  will  see  if  it  can't  be  done 
without  much  risk.  Bring  a  rope,  one  of  you." 

The  required  article  was  brought  in  a  hurry. 
The  bombardment  was  now  at  its  height,  and 
the  thunderous  roaring  of  the  guns  was  increas 
ing  with  every  passing  second.  Above  and 
around  us  the  vicious  reports  of  the  "  Yankee's  " 
five-inch  rapid-firers  seemed  like  one  continuous 
144 


WE  BOMBARD   SANTIAGO   DE   CUBA. 

volley.  A  hoarse  cheer  came  from  a  nearby 
ship,  proclaiming  the  landing  of  some  favored 
shot. 

"  Hurry,  fellows,"  shouted  "  Hay  "  in  an  ec 
stasy  of  impatience.     "  Lively  there;  we're  miss 
ing  all  the  sport." 
10 


145 


CHAPTEK   XL 

A   PERILOUS   MOMENT. 

The  scene  on  the  gun  deck  of  the  "  Yankee  " 
at  that  moment  would  have  made  an  eloquent 
subject  for  the  brush  of  a  Meissonier.  It  was 
the  deck  of  a  warship  in  battle,  and  the  spectacle 
enacted  was  accompanied  by  an  orchestra  of  the 
mighty  guns  of  a  fleet  in  action. 

Imagine  a  compartment  of  steel,  a  compart 
ment  filled  with  smoke  that  surged  and  eddied 
as  the  ship  lunged  forward  or  rolled  upon  a 
heavy  swell. 

Imagine  scattered  about  in  this  pungent  vapor 
many  groups  of  men,  men  half-naked,  perspir 
ing;  their  glistening  bodies  smeared  and  stained 
with  the  grime  of  conflict. 

Imagine  in  the  centre  of  one  of  these  groups 
a  wicked,  menacing  gun — a  five-inch  breech 
loader,  its  long,  lean  barrel  raised  shoulder-high 
upon  the  apex  of  a  conical  gun-mount,  near  the 
base  of  which  are  significant  wooden  cases,  some 
empty  and  others  filled  with  elongated,  formi- 
146 


A  PERILOUS   MOMENT. 

dable  cartridges;  and  pails  of  black,  dirty  water 
ascum  with  powder;  and  other  objects  each  sig 
nificant  of  war. 

Imagine  these  things,  and  then  understand 
that  this  gun,  made  to  be  turned  against  an 
enemy,  has  now  turned  against  its  workers.  In 
the  bore,  pent  in  by  the  polished  breechblock, 
is  a  cartridge  which  has  failed  in  its  duty.  It 
is  apparently  defective. 

The  tide  of  battle  is  surging  on;  other  ships 
of  the  bombarding  fleet  are  still  pouring  their 
shot  and  shell  upon  the  grim  array  of  forts 
ashore ;  other  guns  of  this  ship  are  pursuing  their 
duty  with  savage  energy.  But  this  gun  is  silent. 

The  men  wax  impatient.  It  is  the  height  of 
the  conflict.  Many  shots  have  been  fired,  and 
many  more  will  yet  be  required  to  subdue  the 
enemy.  To  be  "  out  of  action  "  will  mean  pas- 
siveness  in  the  face  of  the  enemy.  Anything 
but  that. 

There  is  a  rivalry  between  the  guns'  crews. 
It  is  a  rivalry  as  to  which  shall  make  the  best 
shots  and  create  the  most  damage.  The  mem 
bers  of  Number  Eight — the  after  gun  on  the 
port  side — are  proud  of  their  record.  Their 
second  captain — he  whom  they  call  "  Hay  " — 
has  received  the  public  commendation  of  the 
captain  himself,  sent  down  from  the  bridge  in 
147 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

the  midst  of  the  battle.  It  is  a  mark  of  dis 
tinction  not  given  freely,  and  Number  Eight  is 
eager  for  more  honors. 

But  the  men  have  not  forgotten  a  similar  case, 
occurring  on  the  voyage  down  the  coast,  when 
another  cartridge  failed,  and  on  being  extracted 
from  the  breech  chamber,  exploded,  killing  a 
marine  corporal  and  wounding  others. 

The  men  of  Number  Eight  have  not  forgotten 
that  tragedy,  and  that  is  why  their  gun  is  now 
to  them  a  menacing  creature  of  steel,  whose 
breath  may  be  the  breath  of  death.  They  stand 
in  groups,  they  eye  it,  they  speculate,  and  they 
feel  that  a  desperate  and  perilous  duty  is  before 
them. 

The  risk  must  be  taken.  The  cartridge  must 
be  extracted.  It  is  a  fortune  of  war  which  all 
who  enlist  must  expect.  But  it  is  one  thing 
to  fall  before  an  enemy's  blow,  and  another  to 
lose  your  life  at  the  stroke  of  your  own  weapon. 

The  officer  of  the  division  steps  forward. 

"  We  will  see  if  we  can't  take  it  out  without 
much  danger,"  he  says,  briefly.  "  Bring  a 
rope." 

One  is  hastily  procured,  and  the  first  captain 

— a  great,  brawny,  good-natured  fellow,  who  has 

spent  years  at  sea — deftly  fastens  the  bight  of 

the  rope  to  the  handle  of  the  breechblock.     He 

148 


A   PERILOUS   MOMENT. 

then  retreats  a  short  distance  and  signifies  his 
readiness. 

"  When  I  give  the  word,"  calls  out  the  officer, 
"  pull  handsomely.  Ready — pull  away !  " 

From  out  the  smoke-filled  compartment  men 
lean  forward,  eagerly — anxiously.  They  in 
stinctively  shrink  back  as  the  breech  plug  slowly 
moves.  Then,  when  it  finally  opens,  revealing 
the  brass  head  of  the  cartridge  inside  the  firing 
chamber,  a  sigh  of  relief  comes  from  all. 

But  the  danger  is  not  yet  over. 

The  defective  projectile  must  be  taken  out 
and  tossed  into  the  sea.  The  second  loader  steps 
forward  at  a  signal  from  the  gun  captain.  This 
second  loader  is  "  Stump."  He  shows  no  fear, 
but  draws  out  the  heavy  cartridge,  handling  it 
as  he  would  a  harmless  dummy,  and  passes  it  to 
another  man  and  myself.  Carrying  it  between 
us — and  carrying  it  gingerly — we  hasten  to 
the  side,  and  with  a  powerful  swing,  launch 
the  hundred-pound  projectile  through  the  open 
port. 

It  barely  clears  the  port  sill,  coming  so  close 
to  it,  in  fact,  that  for  one  breathless  second  we 
think  that  it  will  strike.  As  the  shell  passes 
from  view,  another  sigh  of  relief  comes  from  the 
spectators.  "  Hay  "  passes  a  grimy  towel  over 
his  perspiring  face. 

149 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

"Whew!  that  was  a  ticklish  moment/'  he 
said,  solemnly.  "  I'd  just  as  soon  not  handle 
any  more  defective  shells." 

Which  exactly  represented  our  sentiments. 

Three  minutes  later  Number  Eight  was  bark 
ing  away  at  the  forts  ashore,  and  the  episode  of 
the  cartridge  that  missed  fire  was  a  thing  of  the 
past. 

The  bombardment  of  Santiago  had  now  lasted 
over  an  hour.  As  yet  not  one  of  the  American 
vessels  had  been  reached  by  a  shell,  nor  had  the 
forts  suffered  any  perceptible  damage.  The 
fleet,  roaring  and  thundering,  was  swinging  back 
and  forth  through  the  great  semicircle,  the 
smoke  from  the  guns  was  banking  along  the 
beach,  and  from  Morro  Castle  and  its  attending 
batteries  came  sharp,  defiant  answers  to  the  in 
terminable  volleys  fired  by  our  squadron. 

"  It's  a  good  thing  Uncle  Sam's  shot  locker  is 
pretty  capacious,"  remarked  Flagg,  as  we  shoved 
another  cartridge  into  the  yawning  breech  of 
our  five-inch  gun.  "  If  we  haven't  fired  over 
three  hundred  rounds  since  seven  o'clock  I  can't 
count." 

"  It'll  be  double  that  before  we  get  through," 
grunted  "  Long  Tommy,"  as  we  stepped  back 
from  the  loaded  gun.  "  Steady,  there.  Stand 
by!" 

150 


A   PERILOUS   MOMENT, 

A  motion  to  "  Hay,"  who  held  the  firing  lan 
yard,  and  almost  instantly  came  the  sharp, 
vicious  report  of  the  breechloader.  Each  man 
sprang  back  to  his  station,  and  the  process  of  re 
loading  went  on  without  delay.  The  battle 
smoke  from  Number  Six,  which  had  filled  our 
port  for  some  time,  cleared  away  just  then,  en 
abling  us  to  see  "Hay's  "  last  shot  strike  squarely 
upon  the  outer  line  of  earthworks  of  the  Punta 
Gorda  battery. 

"  Splendid  shot,  '  Hay  ' ! "  exclaimed  our  divi 
sion  officer,  briefly. 

"Bully,  that's  what  it  is — bully!"  cried 
"  Stump,"  patting  the  second  captain  upon  the 
back. 

"Hurray!  it's  knocked  out  a  gun,"  reported 
"  Dye,"  from  nearer  the  port.  "  I  saw  the  piece 
keel  over  backward." 

There  was  no  time  for  further  comment. 
When  a  gun's  crew  is  firing  at  will,  and  the  ex 
citement  of  combat  has  taken  possession  of  the 
individual  members,  the  task  in  hand  requires 
all  one's  attention.  We  of  Number  Eight  had 
suffered  one  delay,  and  we  really  felt  that  the 
lost  time  must  be  made  up. 

Personal  impressions  in  battle  have  been  de 
scribed  in  prose  and  poem  until  the  subject  is 
hackneyed,  but  it  may  be  of  interest  to  note  that 
151 


A   GUXNER  ABOARD    THE   "YANKEE." 

the  impressions  experienced  by  the  novices  in 
naval  warfare  manning  the  "  Yankee,"  during 
the  bombardment  of  Santiago,  consisted  mainly 
of  one  feeling.  It  was  well-voiced  by  "  Hod," 
who  said  many  days  later: 

"  I  felt  just  as  I  did  one  time  when  I  attended 
Barnum's  circus  in  Madison  Square  Garden. 
They  had  three  rings,  two  platforms,  a  lot  of 
tight-ropes  and  trapezes  and  other  things  all 
going  at  the  same  time.  Before  I  had  been  in 
the  place  three  minutes  I  was  wishing  for  a  hun 
dred  eyes.  And  that  is  the  way  I  felt  at  Santi- 
ago." 

What  we  saw  of  the  bombardment  was  limited 
to  the  range  of  our  gun  port,  but  that  little  was 
worth  all  the  hardships  and  toil  and  discomforts 
of  the  whole  cruise.  The  spectacle  of  the  fleet 
itself  was  almost  enough.  To  see  the  great  ships 
ploughing  through  the  water,  each  enveloped 
in  a  shroud  of  smoke,  shot  here  and  there  with 
tinges  of  ruddy  flame;  to  see  that  mighty  line 
swinging  and  swaying  in  front  of  the  enemy;  to 
see  the  shells  land  and  explode  in  fort  and  bat 
tery;  to  see  the  great  gaps  torn  in  cliff  and  earth 
works;  to  see  the  geyser-like  fountains  of  water 
spout  up  here  and  there  as  the  Spanish  shells 
struck  the  surface  of  the  bay — to  see  all  this,  and 
to  hear  the  accompanying  thunder  and  boom- 
152 


ON  THE  GUN  DECK  DURING  THE  BOMBARDMENT  (page  152). 


A   PERILOUS   MOMENT. 

ing  of  the  guns,  was  payment  in  full  for  coal 
handling  and  standing  watch  and  "  Government 
straight."  Not  one  of  the  "  Yankee "  boys 
would  have  missed  the  spectacle  for  anything 
earth  could  offer. 

During  the  second  hour  of  the  attack  we  were 
enabled  to  observe  the  work  being  done  by  other 
vessels  of  the  fleet.  Near  us  was  the  gallant 
"  New  Orleans,"  the  ship  purchased  from  Brazil. 
Her  foreign  build  made  it  easy  to  distinguish 
her,  and,  as  she  was  the  only  craft  using  smoke 
less  powder,  she  presented  a  prominent  mark. 
The  guns  on  board  the  "  New  Orleans  "  were 
being  served  rapidly  and  with  precision,  and  we 
saw  a  number  of  shots  strike  well  within  the 
limits  of  the  batteries. 

At  our  end  of  the  line  the  flagship  "  New 
York,"  the  "Iowa,"  and  the  "Oregon"  were 
pouring  an  appalling  fire  into  some  new  earth 
works  near  Morro  Castle.  It  was  seen  that  but 
very  few  shots  were  sent  in  the  direction  of  the 
latter,  and  it  transpired  that  Admiral  Sampson 
had  issued  strict  orders  to  the  fleet  to  avoid  en 
dangering  Lieutenant  Hobson  and  his  brave 
companions,  who  were  supposed  to  be  impris 
oned  in  old  Morro.  Before  the  end  of  the 
second  hour  the  "  New  York  "  and  the  "  New 
Orleans  "  had  succeeded  in  completely  silencing 
153 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Cayo  Battery,  dismantling  the  guns  and  wreck 
ing  the  outer  fortifications. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  line  Admiral  Schley's 
division  was  doing  splendid  work.  We  could 
see  the  "  Massachusetts,"  "  Brooklyn,"  and 
"  Texas  "  move  in  toward  shore  and  open  fire  at 
close  range.  It  was  a  stirring  sight,  this  mighty 
duel  between  warships  and  forts.  As  compared 
with  the  cliffs  and  hills  of  the  land,  the  ships 
seemed  veritable  pigmies,  but  in  this  strife  the 
pigmies  were  all  powerful. 

The  guns  of  the  fleet  were  working  havoc  in 
the  forts  ashore,  and  we  could  see -the  Spanish 
artillerymen  abandon  battery  after  battery. 
Cayo,  Punta  Gorda,  Estrella,  and  Catalena  were 
rapidly  being  vacated.  The  former  was  en 
tirely  out  of  the  fight,  and  the  others  were  reply 
ing  only  at  intervals.  Presently  the  "  Massa 
chusetts  "  and  "  Marblehead  "  advanced  within 
two  thousand  yards  of  the  Estrella  fortification 
and  began  such  a  terrific  firing  that  within  a 
few  minutes  a  great  cloud  of  smoke  appeared 
above  the  works.  The  Spanish  guns  became 
quiet  at  once,  and  a  rousing  cheer  went  up  from 
the  fleet. 

"  Hay,"  in  his  exuberance,  wanted  to  send  a 
five-inch  shell  from  our  gun  at  the  burning  fort, 
but  the  distance  was  too  great  and  he  was  com- 
154 


A   PERILOUS   MOMENT. 

pelled  to  be  content  with  a  couple  of  well-aimed 
shots  at  the  nearest  battery. 

"  I  wish  we  had  thirteen-inch  guns  and  the 
range  was  about  ten  feet,"  grumbled  "  Stump." 
"  I'd  like  to  smash  the  whole  outfit  in  a  pair  of 
minutes.  By  Cricky!  we  have  poured  enough 
good  old  American  steel  into  those  forts  to  build 
a  bridge  across  the  Atlantic,  but  the  dagoes  are 
still  giving  us  guff." 

"  It  won't  last  much  longer,"  said  Tommy  re 
assuringly.  "  From  the  looks  of  those  batteries 
they  haven't  much  fight  left.  I'll  bet  a  hard 
tack  against  a  prune  we  haul  off  at  four  bells." 

"  Licked?  "  queried  Flagg. 

"  Nope." 

"  Will  the  Spaniards  give  up?  "  asked  "  Dye." 

Tommy  hesitated  before  replying.  It  was  a 
brief  lull  and  we  were  resting  at  the  gun.  The 
crew,  grimy,  dirty,  battle-stained  and  tired,  was 
glad  to  lean  against  the  side  of  the  deck  or  a 
convenient  stanchion.  Tommy's  long  service  in 
the  regular  navy  as  apprentice  and  seaman 
made  his  opinions  official,  and  we  were  always 
glad  to  listen  to  his  explanations. 

"Will  the  Spaniards  give  up?"  repeated 
"  Dye." 

"  Yes,  and  no,"  replied  the  first  captain 
thoughtfully.  "  You  see,  it's  this  way.  Those 
155 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

dagoes  are  not  fools  by  any  means.  They  have 
selected  good  places  for  their  batteries,  and  they 
know  earthworks  are  hard  to  destroy.  They 
aren't  like  the  old-style  stone  forts  that  could  be 
knocked  to  pieces  in  no  time.  When  a  shell, 
even  a  thirteen-incher,  hits  a  mound  of  earth  it 
tears  up  the  dirt  and  spoils  the  look  of  the  para 
pet,  but  it  really  doesn't  do  much  harm.  To 
completely  ruin  an  earthwork  battery,  you  must 
dismantle  every  gun  in  it.  And  that's  pretty 
hard  to  do.  Mark  my  words,  those  fellows  will 
give  us  a  shot  of  defiance  after  we  quit." 

"  What's  the  idea  of  all  this  bombarding 
then?  "  asked  "  Stump."  "  We'd  be  much  bet 
ter  '  caulking  off,'  seems  to  me." 

"  And  think  what  it  costs  the  Government," 
I  suggested.  "  The  cost  of  the  projectiles  and 
the  wear  and  tear  to  guns  and  ships  must  be 
something  enormous." 

Tommy's  answer  was  drowned  in  the  thunder 
ing  roar  of  the  "  New  York's  "  battery,  which 
opened  fire  just  then  a  short  distance  away,  but 
it  was  evident  he  agreed  with  me.  A  moment 
later  Number  Eight  went  into  action  once  more, 
and  we  worked  the  breechloader  without  cessa 
tion  until  the  conclusion  of  the  bombardment, 
which  came  a  half  hour  later. 

The  fortifications  ashore  had  entirely  ceased 
156 


A   PERILOUS   MOMENT. 

firing,  and  at  ten  o'clock  a  signal  to  stop  bom 
barding  appeared  on  the  flagship.  It  was  obeyed 
with  reluctance,  and  it  was  evident  the  crews 
of  the  various  ships  were  anxious  and  eager  to 
continue.  As  the  fleet  drew  off  there  was  a  puff 
of  smoke  in  one  corner  of  Punta  Gorda  battery 
and  a  shell  whizzed  over  the  "  Massachusetts." 
A  second  shot  came  from  one  of  the  earthworks, 
and  still  another  from  Punta  Gorda;  then  the 
firing  ceased  again. 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  so?"  quietly  remarked 
Tommy.  "  The  beggars  ain't  licked  yet." 

"  But  they  got  a  taste  of  Uncle  Sam's 
strength,"  said  Flagg. 

"  And  I'll  bet  anything  they  haven't  enough 
whole  guns  left  to  equip  one  small  fort,"  added 
"  Stump." 

u  I  heard  the  skipper  say  the  destruction  of 
life  must  be  enormous,"  spoke  up  the  "  Kid," 
stopping  on  his  way  aft  to  deliver  a  message. 
"  He  watched  the  whole  thing  with  his  glass. 
He  told  i  Mother  Hubbub '  the  moral  effect  was 
worth  all  the  trouble." 

"  That's  an  expert  opinion,"  observed  "  Hay," 
wiping  off  the  breech  of  the  gun.  "  Now 
you've  had  your  little  say,  youngster,  so  just 
trot  along." 

The  fleet  presently  reached  its  former  station 
157 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   ''YANKEE:' 

several  miles  off  shore,  and  the  bombardment  of 
Santiago  was  at  an  end. 

No  attempt  was  made  to  clean  ship  until  late 
in  the  afternoon.  The  men  were  permitted  to 
lie  around  decks  and  rest,  smoke,  and  discuss  the 
fight,  which  they  did  with  exceeding  interest. 
When  dinner  was  piped  at  noon,  the  shrill  call 
of  the  boatswain's  whistle  was  welcome  music. 
A  sea  battle  is  a  good  appetizer. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  fleet 
was  treated  to  a  spectacle  both  novel  and  humor 
ous.  The  little  "  Dolphin,"  a  gunboat  of  not 
fifteen  hundred  tons  displacement,  which  was 
keeping  guard  close  in  shore,  began  to  use  her 
guns.  A  battery  near  the  channel  returned  the 
fire,  but  the  plucky  little  craft  maintained  her 
position,  and  from  the  series  of  rapid  reports 
coming  from  her  four-inch  breechloaders  and 
six-pounders,  it  was  evident  she  had  something 
important  on  hand. 

The  "  Yankee  "  was  signalled  to  run  in  to  her 
assistance,  but  before  we  could  reach  a  position, 
the  "  Dolphin  "  had  accomplished  her  task.  It 
was  not  until  then  that  we  discovered  what  she 
had  been  doing. 

"  May  I  never  see  home  again  if  the  gunboat 
hasn't  corralled  a  railway  train  in  a  cut!  "  ex 
claimed  "Patt."  "Just  look  there,  fellows. 
158 


A   PERILOUS   MOMENT. 

See  that  ridge  of  earth  on  the  other  side  of  the 
channel?  Just  under  it  is  a  track  running  into 
a  cut  and 

"  The  k  Dolphin '  has  closed  up  both  ends," 
interrupted  "  Stump,"  with  a  laugh.  "  She's 
knocked  down  a  pile  of  earth  and  debris  on  the 
track  and  the  train  can't  get  out.  What  a  bully 
trick." 

Flagg  produced  a  glass,  and  after  a  careful 
scrutiny  reported  that  he  could  see  part  of  the 
train  lying  on  its  side  at  the  eastern  end  of  the 
cut.  He  could  also  distinguish  a  number  of 
bodies,  and  it  was  plain  that  the  Spanish  loss  had 
been  heavy.  It  was  not  until  later  that  we 
learned  the  details,  which  were  as  follows : 

After  the  bombardment  the  "  Dolphin  "  re 
mained  at  her  station,  firing  occasionally  at  the 
batteries  ashore.  She  was  directly  opposite  a 
cut  in  the  cliff,  through  which  runs  a  little  rail 
way  connecting  the  iron  mines  with  the  dock  in 
Santiago  harbor.  During  the  bombardment,  a 
train  loaded  with  Spanish  troops  remained  in  the 
cut,  and  at  its  conclusion  attempted  to  leave. 
It  was  espied  by  the  "  Dolphin  "  and  driven 
back.  It  tried  the  other  end  with  like  results, 
and  for  an  hour  this  game  of  hide-and-seek  was 
kept  up,  to  the  discomfiture  of  the  train.  While 
waiting  for  the  train  to  appear  at  either  end, 
159 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

the  gallant  little  gunboat  shelled  a  small  block 
house,  and  in  time  disabled  it.  Then  she  steamed 
back  to  the  fleet  and  reported  that  she  had 
"  wrecked  a  trainload  of  troops  and  dismantled 
a  blockhouse."  When  she  left  for  her  station 
again  she  was  applauded  by  the  whole  squadron. 
We  learned  later  that  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
were  killed  on  the  train. 

Shortly  after  supper  the  "  Yankee's  "  whale- 
boat  was  called  away  and  sent  to  the  flagship, 
returning  an  hour  later  with  sealed  orders  from 
the  admiral. 

At  midnight  we  quietly  steamed  from  our  sta 
tion  and  passed  out  to  sea,  our  destination  being 
unknown  to  all  save  the  commanding  officer. 


160 


CHAPTER   XII. 

IN   SEARCH   OF   ADVENTURE. 

When  a  man-of-war  sails  from  port  under 
what  are  called  "  sealed  orders,"  which  means 
that  the  orders  given  to  the  captain  by  the  ad 
miral  are  not  to  be  opened  for  a  certain  number 
of  hours,  or  until  the  ship  reaches  a  certain  de 
gree  of  latitude,  there  is  a  mystery  about  the 
affair  which  appeals  strongly  to  the  crew. 

We  of  the  "  Yankee  "  felt  very  curious  as  to 
our  destination  when  we  left  Santiago  that 
night,  and  the  interest  was  greatly  stimulated 
by  the  discovery,  before  we  had  gone  very  far, 
that  the  "  St.  Louis  "  and  "  Marblehead  "  were 
following  us. 

The  "  Rumor  Committee  "  went  into  active 
session  without  delay. 

"  Bet  I  can  guess  it,"  said  "  Stump,"  as  a  half 
dozen  of  us  met  in  the  gangway.  "We  are 
bound  for  a  cable  station  somewhere." 

"  To  cable  the  news  of  the  fight?  "  said  Flagg. 
11  161 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

"No.  That  was  done  by  one  of  the  other 
ships." 

"What  then?" 

"  To  get  permission  from  Washington  to  go 
ashore  and  reclaim  all  that  steel  we  wasted  in 
the  bombardment." 

There  was  a  laugh  at  this  sally. 

"  I  have  been  figuring  on  the  cost  of  the 
fight,"  remarked  "  Hay,"  after  a  pause.  "  A 
five-inch  shell  is  worth  $60,  and  as  we  fired  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty,  it  means  just  $15,000 
worth  of  five-inchers  alone." 

"  Then  there  are  the  six-pounders." 

"  They  cost  $20  a  shot,"  resumed  "  Hay,"  re 
flectively.  "  I  guess  we  must  have  fired  about 
a  million  of  them." 

"  Hardly  that,"  smiled  Tommy,  "  but  we  ex 
pended  enough  to  bring  the  total  up  to  $18,000 
at  the  very  least.  War  is  a  costly  thing,  boys." 

When  the  quartermaster  on  duty  came  off 
watch  he  joined  us  in  the  gangway,  and  reported 
that  we  were  steering  a  straight  course  to  the 
southward. 

"  If  we  keep  it  up  we'll  land  somewhere  near 
the  Antarctic  Ocean,"  remarked  Kennedy, 
doubtfully.  "  I  wonder " 

"I  know,   I  know,"   broke   in   the   "Kid," 
eagerly.     "  We're  going  for  ice." 
162 


IN  SEARCH   OF  ADVENTURE. 

The  burning  question  was  solved  at  day 
break.  The  morning  sun  brought  into  view  a 
stretch  of  highland  which  proved  to  be  Cuba. 
We  had  steamed  out  to  sea  on  scouting  duty, 
and  had  doubled  on  our  tracks,  as  it  were. 
The  port  we  found  to  be  Guantanamo,  a 
small  place  some  forty  miles  to  the  eastward 
of  Santiago. 

The  town  itself  lies  on  a  bay  connected  with 
the  sea  by  a  tortuous  and  winding  channel.  The 
entrance  is  protected  by  a  fort  and  several  block 
houses,  and  when  we  steamed  inshore  we  espied 
the  "  St.  Louis  "  and  "  Marblehead  "  laying  to, 
waiting  for  us  outside. 

The  "  Marblehead  "  preceding  us,  we  entered 
the  harbor,  and  the  two  ships  began  a  lively 
bombardment,  while  the  "  St.  Louis  "  lay  out 
side.  Shortly  after  the  firing  began,  a  Spanish 
gunboat  was  seen  steaming  out  past  the  fort.  A 
few  shots  in  her  direction  sent  her  scurrying 
back  again,  and  that  was  the  last  seen  of  her 
during  the  fight.  After  the  battle  of  the  pre 
vious  day,  this  affair  seemed  insignificant,  and 
aroused  little  interest. 

The  blockhouses  were  destroyed  and  the  fort 
silenced  after  a  short  period  of  firing,  and  the 
"  St.  Louis  "  proceeded  with  the  duty  which  evi 
dently  had  caused  our  visit.  It  was  the  cutting 
163 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

of  a  cable  connecting  Guantanamo  with  the 
outer  world. 

Our  little  fleet  steamed  to  sea  in  the  after 
noon,  returning  just  before  dark.  The  fort, 
showing  signs  of  reanimation,  was  treated  to  an 
other  bombardment,  which  effectually  settled  it. 
A  small  fishing  hamlet  composed  of  a  dozen 
flimsy  huts  of  bamboo  was  set  on  fire  and  burned 
to  the  ground.  When  we  left  Guantanamo 
shortly  after  dark,  bound  back  for  Santiago,  we 
had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  one  more 
blow  had  been  struck  against  Spanish  rule  in 
the  fair  isle  of  Cuba. 

At  dawn  the  following  day,  Santiago  was 
sighted.  The  fleet  was  still  lying  off  the  en 
trance  like  a  group  of  huge  gray  cats  watching 
a  mouse  hole.  As  we  passed  in,  the  flagship  be 
gan  signalling,  and  it  soon  became  noised  about 
the  ship  that  we  had  received  orders  to  leave  for 
Mole  St.  Nicholas  after  dark. 

"  It  looks  as  if  the  '  Yankee  '  will  come  in 
handy  as  a  messenger  boy,"  said  "  Stump." 
"  When  the  admiral  wants  '  any  old  thing '  he 
tells  his  flag  officer  to  send  the  Naval  Reserve 
ship." 

"  It's  a  good  thing  to  be  appreciated,"  grinned 
"Dye."  "To  tell  the  truth,  though,  I'd  rather  be 
on  the  move  than  lying  here  watching  the  land." 
164 


IN  SEARCH   OF  ADVENTURE. 

"  We  don't  want  to  be  away  when  Cervera 
comes  out,"  remarked  Flagg. 

"  When  he  comes  out,"  retorted  "  Stump," 
emphasizing  the  first  word  meaningly.  "  The 
old  gentleman  knows  when  he  is  well  off  and 
he'll  stay  inside." 

"  Which,  as  the  Texan  said  when  he  was  ac 
cused  of  stealing  a  horse,"  put  in  Tommy,  "  re 
mains  to  be  proved.  Just  you  keep  your  eye  on 
the  gun  and  wait." 

"  There  goes  another  string  of  signals  on  the 
'  New  York,'  "  exclaimed  "  Dye,"  pointing  to 
ward  the  flagship.  "Whiz!  I'd  hate  to  be  a 
signalman  aboard  of  her.  They  are  always  at 
it." 

The  flagship  of  a  fleet  like  that  assembled  in 
front  of  Santiago  during  the  blockade,  is  cer 
tainly  kept  very  busy.  In  the  naval  service, 
everything  in  the  way  of  routine  emanates  from 
the  flagship.  Every  ship  in  the  squadron,  for  in 
stance,  takes  the  uniform  of  the  day  from  her. 
The  number  of  sick  each  morning  must  be  re 
ported  by  signal ;  all  orders  (and  they  are  legion) 
are  transmitted  by  wigwag  or  bunting;  scores  of 
questions  are  asked  daily  by  each  ship,  and  it  is 
indeed  seldom  that  the  signal  yards  of  a  flagship 
are  bare  of  colored  flags. 

In  the  American  navy  the  present  methods  of 
165 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

communication  are  by  the  use  of  flags  represent 
ing  numerals,  by  the  Meyer  code  of  wigwag 
signals,  and  by  a  system  of  colored  electric  bulbs 
suspended  in  the  rigging.  The  latter  system  is 
called  after  its  inventor,  Ardois. 

In  the  day  time,  when  ships  are  within  easy  dis 
tance,  wigwagging  is  commonly  used.  A  small 
flag  attached  to  a  staff  is  held  by  the  signalman 
in  such  a  position  that  it  can  be  seen  by  the  ship 
addressed.  A  code  similar  to  the  Morse  tele 
graph  alphabet  is  employed.  By  this  system  the 
flag,  when  waved  to  the  right,  represents  1,  or  a 
dot;  and  2,  or  a  dash,  when  inclined  to  the  left. 
Each  word  is  concluded  by  bringing  the  flag  di 
rectly  to  the  front,  which  motion  is  called  3. 
Naval  signalmen,  generally  apprentices,  become 
very  expert,  and  the  rapidity  with  which  they 
can  wigwag  sentences  is  really  remarkable. 

The  Ardois  system  of  night  signalling  consists 
of  electric  lights  attached  to  the  rigging.  There 
are  four  groups  of  double  lamps,  the  two  lamps 
in  each  group  showing  red  and  white  respec 
tively.  By  the  combination  of  these  lights  let 
ters  can  be  formed,  and  so,  letter  by  letter,  a 
word,  and  thence  an  order,  can  be  spelled  out  for 
the  guidance  of  the  ships  of  a  squadron.  The 
lamps  are  worked  by  a  keyboard  generally 
placed  on  the  upper  bridge. 
166 


IN  SEARCH   OF  ADVENTURE. 

The  "  flag  hoist "  system,  as  it  is  termed,  con 
sists  of  the  displaying  of  different  flags  at  some 
conspicuous  place  like  the  masthead.  There 
are  a  great  many  flags  and  pennants,  differing 
in  color,  shape,  and  design,  each  having  its  own 
particular  meaning,  and  when  three  or  four  are 
shown  aloft  together,  a  number  is  formed,  the 
significance  of  which  can  only  be  determined  by 
referring  to  a  code  book.  Each  navy  has  a 
private  code,  which  is  guarded  with  great  care. 
So  particular  are  Governments  in  this  respect, 
that  the  commanding  officer  of  every  ship  has 
instructions  to  go  to  any  length  to  destroy  the 
code  book,  if  capture  is  imminent.  During  the 
late  war  with  Spain  it  was  reported  at  one  time 
that  the  Spanish  code  had  been  secured.  This 
means  that  the  Dons  will  be  compelled  to  adopt 
an  entirely  new  code  of  signals. 

Besides  the  above  systems,  signalling  in  the 
navy  includes  various  other  devices.  For  in 
stance,  the  fog  whistle  can  be  utilized  in  con 
nection  with  the  Meyer  system  of  numerals.  One 
toot  represents  1,  two  short  toots  2,  and  a  long 
blast  the  end  of  a  word.  In  a  fog,  this  is  the 
only  means  practicable.  Similar  sounds  can  be 
made  by  horn  or  gunfire.  At  night  searchlights 
are  often  used  by  waving  the  beam  from  the 
right  to  the  left,  thus  forming  an  electric  wig- 
167 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

wag,  or  by  flash  like  the  heliograph.  On  small 
ships  not  fitted  up  with  the  Ardois  system,  the 
Very  night  signal  is  used.  This  consists  of  a 
pistol  made  for  the  purpose,  which  discharges 
lights  similar  to  those  found  in  the  ordinary 
Roman  candles.  The  colors  are  red  and  green, 
and  they  are  fired  in  combinations  expressing  the 
numbers  from  1  to  9  and  0,  so  that  the  numbers 
to  four  digits  contained  in  the  signal  book  may 
be  displayed. 

The  "  Yankee  "  was  rigged  with  the  Ardois 
lamps,  and  she  also  carried  all  the  necessary 
signal  flags  and  other  paraphernalia  required  to 
communicate  with  other  vessels  of  the  fleet. 
The  signalmen  on  board  had  been  drilled  in 
their  work  as  members  of  the  Naval  Reserve 
prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  they  were 
experts  to  a  man. 

On  the  evening  of  June  8th,  while  we  were 
idling  about  decks  awaiting  the  order  to  get 
under  way,  a  small  boat  came  alongside,  having 
as  a  passenger  a  captain  of  the  army.  He  proved 
to  be  a  special  agent  who  had  succeeded  in  visit 
ing  the  vicinity  of  Santiago,  and  was  on  his  way 
to  Mole  St.  Nicholas  for  the  purpose  of  cabling 
to  Washington.  The  mysterious  manner  in 
which  he  boarded  the  ship,  and  the  quickness 
with  which  we  steamed  from  port,  created  some 
168 


IN  SEARCH   OF  ADVENTURE. 

excitement,  and  we  felt  the  importance  of  our 
mission. 

The  night  was  dark  and  muggy — an  ideal  time 
for  torpedo-boat  work,  and  extra  lookouts  were 
posted  by  order  of  the  captain.  Nothing  of 
interest  occurred,  however,  until  early  next 
morning.  The  ship  was  ploughing  along  at  a 
steady  gait,  and  those  of  the  watch  who  were 
not  on  actual  duty  were  snatching  what  sleep 
they  could  in  out-of-the-way  corners,  when  sud 
denly  the  call  to  "  general  quarters "  was 
sounded.  Long  practice  caused  prompt  obedi 
ence,  and  the  various  guns'  crews  were  soon 
ready  for  action. 

Very  few  of  us  knew  just  what  was  on  foot 
until  the  "  Kid,"  in  passing,  contrived  to  convey 
the  interesting  information  that  a  big  Spanish 
fleet  had  been  sighted  dead  ahead. 

"  That's  funny,"  remarked  "  Stump,"  trying 
to  peer  from  the  port.  "  We  are  not  changing 
our  course  any.  Surely  the  '  old  man  '  doesn't 
intend  to  tackle  them  alone." 

"  I  guess  the  '  Kid  '  is  ( stringing  '  us,"  ob 
served  Tommy,  sagely.  "  He's  up  to  that  trick 
every  time.  We're  not  chasing  Spanish  fleets 
alone.  The  captain  knows  his  business  all  right, 
all  right." 

Word  was  brought  from  the  upper  deck  pres- 


A   &VNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE:' 

ently,  that  we  were  in  pursuit  of  a  strange 
steamer  which  had  been  discovered  lurking  on 
the  horizon.  She  failed  to  respond  to  our  sig 
nals,  and  chase  was  made  forthwith.  The 
"  Yankee's  "  speed  soon  proved  superior  to  that 
of  the  stranger,  and  within  an  hour  we  had  her 
close  aboard. 

"  It's  an  English  tramp  from  the  looks  of 
her,"  reported  "  Hay,"  who  had  a  choice  position 
near  the  gun  port.  "  She's  got  a  dozen  people 
on  the  bridge  and  they  are  badly  scared." 

A  blank  six-pounder  was  fired,  but  she  did  not 
heed  it,  so  a  shot  was  fired  across  the  stranger's 
bows,  and  she  hove-to  in  short  order. 

tl  Steamer  ahoy!  "  came  faintly  to  our  ears 
from  on  deck.  "  What  steamer  is  that?  " 

The  answer  reached  U3  in  disjointed  sentences, 
but  we  heard  enough  to  set  us  laughing.  Tommy 
smacked  his  hand  upon  the  breech  of  the  gun 
and  chuckled :  "  It's  one  of  those  everlasting 
press  boats.  The  sea  is  full  of  'em." 

"  What  in  the  deuce  did  they  run  for,  I  won 
der?  "  exclaimed  Kennedy. 

"  Afraid  of  us,  I  suppose.  It's  ticklish  times 
around  here,  and  I  don't  blame  them.  Press 
boats  are  not  made  to  fight,  you  know." 

"That  idea  doesn't  carry  out  their  motto," 
drawled  "  Dye." 

170 


IN  SEARCH   OF  ADVENTURE. 

"  How's  that?  "  asked  Flagg,  innocently. 

"  Why,  they  claim  that  the  pen  is  mightier 
than  the  sword,  don't  they? " 

After  the  laugh  had  subsided,  "  Morrie," 
one  of  the  Rochester  detail,  who  acted  as  a 
shellman  in  the  crew  of  Number  Eight,  said 
seriously : 

"  I  am  a  great  admirer  of  the  press  repre 
sentatives  down  here,  fellows.  They  are  capa 
ble,  good  writers,  and  there  is  not  a  branch  of 
the  whole  outfit  that  has  been  more  faithful  to 
duty.  They  were  sent  here  to  get  the  news,  and 
they  get  it  every  time.  There  has  never  been 
a  war  more  ably  reported  than  this,  and,  al 
though  the  correspondents  have  to  hustle  day 
and  night,  they  still  find  time  to  keep  us  in 
formed,  and  to  give  us  an  occasional  paper  from 
home.  They  are  good  fellows  all." 

"Amen!  "said  "Hay." 

After  a  time,  the  press  boat  sheered  off,  and 
we  continued  on  our  course.  Later  in  the  morn 
ing  another  steamer  was  sighted.  The  "Yan 
kee  "  was  sent  after  her  at  full  speed.  The 
chase  crowded  on  all  steam,  but  she  was  soon 
overhauled,  and  found  to  be  a  Norwegian  trader. 
After  a  satisfactory  explanation  she  was  per 
mitted  to  go.  Three  hours  later  the  "  Yankee  " 
dropped  anchor  off  Mole  St.  Nicholas,  a  Hay  dan 
171 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

seaport  brought  into  some  prominence  through 
the  location  of  a  cable  station. 

Mole  St.  Nicholas  is  a  little  collection  of  trop 
ical-looking  houses  set  among  palm  trees  at  the 
foot  of  a  large  hill,  which  in  places  aspires  to  the 
dignity  of  a  mountain.  The  town  itself  is  rather 
picturesquely  situated,  the  foliage-covered  back 
ground  and  beautiful  inlet  of  pure  clear  water 
giving  it  a  natural  setting  very  attractive  to  our 
eyes. 

After  we  had  been  anchored  an  hour  or  so, 
a  bumboat  came  out,  manned  by  a  crew  of  two 
coal-black  negroes  who  spoke  a  French  patois, 
intermingled  with  comical  English.  The  boat 
itself  was  a  queer,  stubby  craft  propelled  by 
home-made  oars.  Before  the  morning  was  well 
advanced  the  ship  was  surrounded  by  boats  car 
rying  shells,  limes,  prickly  pears,  green  cocoa- 
nuts,  bananas,  fish,  and  "  water  monkeys."  The 
latter  were  jugs  made  of  a  porous  clay,  and  they 
were  eagerly  purchased.  The  "  water  monkey  " 
is  a  natural  cooler,  and  when  placed  in  a  draught 
of  air  will  keep  water  at  a  temperature  delight 
ful  in  a  warm  latitude. 

"We  parted  with  our  mysterious  passenger,  the 

army  officer,  and  weighed  anchor  just  as  the  sun 

was  setting.     Lookouts  were  posted  early,  and 

special  instruction  given  by  the  captain  to  main- 

172 


IN  SEARCH   OF  ADVENTURE. 

tain  a  vigilant  watch.  The  fact  that  we  were 
in  the  very  theatre  of  war,  and  that  several  Span 
ish  cruisers,  including  the  Spanish  torpedo  boat 
"  Terror,"  were  reported  as  being  in  the  vicinity, 
kept  a  number  of  us  on  deck. 

"  It  is  one  thing  lying  off  a  port  with  a  lot  of 
other  ships  and  bombarding  a  few  measly  earth 
works,  and  another  to  be  sneaking  about  in  the 
darkness  like  this,  not  knowing  when  you  will 
run  your  nose  against  an  enemy  twice  as  large," 
said  Flagg,  as  several  of  Number  Eight's  crew 
met  on  the  forecastle.  "  I  tell  you,  it  feels  like 
war." 

"  Reminds  me  of  a  story  I  heard  once,"  put 
in  "  Stump,"  lazily.  He  was  lounging  over  the 
rail  with  his  back  to  us  and  his  words  came 
faintly.  The  deck  was  shrouded  in  gloom,  and 
the  vague  outlines  of  the  pilot-house,  only  a 
dozen  feet  away,  was  the  length  of  our  vision  aft. 
A  soft,  purling  sound  came  from  over  the  side 
where  the  waves  lapped  against  the  steel  hull.  A 
shovel  grated  stridently  now  and  then  in  the  fire 
room,  and  occasionally  a  block  rattled  or  a  hal 
liard  flapped  against  the  foremast  overhead. 
The  surroundings  and  the  strange,  weird  "  feel  " 
of  the  darkness  were  peculiarly  impressive. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  we  care  to  hear  any 
story,"  observed  "  Hay."  "  Better  keep  it  until 
173 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

later,  '  Stump.'  The  night's  too  wonderful  to 
do  anything  except  lounge  around  and  think. 
Whew!  isn't  it  dark?  " 

"  This  story  I  was  going  to  tell  you  requires 
a  setting  like  this,"  replied  "  Stump."  "  It  is 
about  a  ship  that  started  from  England  years  and 
years  ago.  She  had  as  passengers  a  lot  of  luna 
tics  who  were  to  be  experimented  upon  by  a 
doctor  about  as  crazy  as  they.  He  bought  the 
ship,  fitted  it  up  with  a  number  of  little  iron 
cages,  and  set  forth  with  his  queer  cargo.  Ten 
days  out,  the  lunatics  broke  from  their  quarters 
and  captured  the  vessel.  One  of  them,  who  had 
been  a  sea  captain  in  his  time,  took  charge,  and 
proceeded  to  carry  out  a  little  idea  of  his  own, 
which  was  to  make  sane  people  crazy." 

"  That  was  turning  the  tables  with  a  ven 
geance,"  drawled  "  Dye,"  from  his  perch  on  an 
upturned  pail.  "  I  wonder  if  he  was  any  rela 
tion  to  '  Cutlets  '  ?  " 

"  A  lineal  ancestor,  I'll  bet  a  biscuit,"  chimed 
in  "  Hay."  "  Don't  you  remember  the  quota 
tion,  '  By  these  acts  you  will  know  their  fore 
fathers,'  or  something  like  that?  " 

"  Well,"  resumed  "  Stump,"  "  the  crazy  cap 
tain  put  the  doctor  and  the  crew  in  the  cages 
and  began  to  feed  them  hardtack  and  berth-deck 

scouse  and  salt-horse  and " 

174 


THE    SEARCHLIGHT     "  SWEEPING    BACK    AND    FORTH    ACROSS    THE 

BLACK  OP  THE  HORIZON  "  (page  175). 


IN  SEARCH  OF  ADVENTURE. 

"  Must  have  been  a  Government  naval  con 
tractor  in  his  time,"  murmured  "  Morrie." 

"I  bet  I  know  the  rest,"  exclaimed  the  "Kid," 
coming  up  in  time  to  grasp  the  situation.  "  The 
captain  set  his  prisoners  to  carrying  coal  from 
the  after  hold  forward  and  then  back  again, 
didn't  he?" 

"  If  you  fellows  think  you  can  tell  the  story 
better  than  I  can,  go  ahead,"  retorted  "  Stump," 
in  disgust.  "  You  are  like  a  lot  of  old  maids 
at  a  sewing  circle.  I  give " 

"What  was  that?"  suddenly  cried  "Hay," 
springing  to  his  feet.  "  If  it  wasn't  a  flash  of 
light  I'll  eat  my " 

A  figure  hastily  emerged  from  the  gloom  aft. 

"  Go  to  your  stations  at  once,  you  men,"  called 
out  a  voice.  "  General  quarters!  " 

As  we  scurried  toward  the  hatch  a  great  shaft 
of  light  appeared  off  the  port  beam,  and  began 
sweeping  back  and  forth  across  the  black  of  the 
horizon. 

"Good  heavens!  "  exclaimed  "Hay,"  "it's  a 
searchlight  on  some  man-of-war.  We're  in  for 
it  now!  " 


175 


CHAPTER    XHI. 

A   NARROW   ESCAPE. 

The  finger  of  light  sweeping  the  heavens 
above  the  distant  horizon  meant  to  us  the  pres 
ence  either  of  friend  or  foe,  and  the  question 
was  one  we  had  little  desire  to  solve  at  that  mo 
ment.  Rumors  of  Spanish  warships  lurking  in 
the  waters  adjacent  to  Cuba  were  rife,  and  it 
had  even  been  stated  that  another  squadron  in 
ferior  only  to  Cervera's  fleet  was  somewhere  in 
the  neighborhood. 

We  of  the  "  Yankee  "  were  willing,  and  I 
may  say,  without  undue  boasting,  eager  to  meet 
any  vessel  of  equal  size  or  even  larger,  but  to 
give  battle  to  a  whole  fleet  was  a  little  too  much. 
Nevertheless,  when  the  word  was  passed  to  go  to 
"  general  quarters,"  there  was  no  sulking  nor 
hesitancy. 

The  battery  was  ready  in  record  time. 

Our  gun  was  placed  in  trim,  ammunition 
hatches  opened,  cartridges  whipped  on  deck, 
176 


A   NARROW  ESCAPE. 

and  the  piece  prepared  for  instant  use  so  rapidly 
that  the  officer  of  the  division,  Lieutenant 
Greene,  gave  us  warm  praise. 

Then  we  waited. 

It  is  difficult  for  a  layman — a  citizen  who  has 
not  experienced  the  test  of  action  and  danger 
in  battle — to  understand  or  appreciate  our  feel 
ings  that  night.  It  is  hard  to  describe  them, 
to  paint  with  mere  words  the  intense  serious 
ness  and  gravity  of  the  situation.  You  can 
imagine  a  dark  night  at  sea — a  night  so  black 
that  the  senses  feel  oppressed.  You  can  add  to 
these  a  thrill  of  impending  danger  and  a  vision 
of  capture  by  a  cruel  enemy  and  the  thought 
that  the  very  next  second  will  sound  the  signal 
for  an  uproar  and  outbreak  of  combat,  but  your 
impressions  will  fall  far  short  of  the  reality — 
that  must  be  experienced  to  be  appreciated. 

As  we  stood  at  our  stations  surrounding 
Number  Eight  gun,  I  tried  to  read  the  faces  of 
my  companions,  to  see  if  I  could  find  in  them 
traces  of  worry  or  anxiety,  or  of  fear.  The  situ 
ation  warranted  even  the  latter  emotion.  The 
dim  light  cast  by  the  flickering  battle  lanterns 
sent  fantastic  shadows  dancing  over  deck  and 
bulkhead,  and  caused  the  men  at  the  guns  to 
resemble,  in  their  stained  white  working  clothes, 
so  many  gaunt  spectres. 
12  177 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

But  they  were  spectres  with  a  grim  purpose 
in  view,  and  as  the  officer  of  the  division  strode 
back  and  forth,  alert  and  watchful,  they  fol 
lowed  his  movements  with  their  eyes,  eager  for 
the  word  that  would  set  them  in  action.  They 
were  not  veterans,  and  their  experience  in  war 
could  have  been  measured  by  days,  but  they 
were  honestly  ready  to  fight  and  to  shed  the 
last  drop  of  their  blood  for  the  flag  waving  over 
the  taffrail. 

It  was  a  ticklish  situation.  Even  the  "  Kid," 
with  his  careless,  happy-go-lucky  mind,  would 
have  admitted  that;  but  as  time  passed  without 
bringing  a  break  in  the  monotony  of  waiting, 
we  began  to  feel  restless.  The  tension  was  still 
great,  but  the  first  sense  of  apprehension  was 
gone. 

"  I  do  wish  something  would  happen,"  mut 
tered  "  Hay,"  after  a  while.  "  Can  you  see  any 
thing  from  that  port,  '  Morrie  '  ?  " 

"  A  wall  of  blackness,  that's  all,"  replied  the 
Rochester  man. 

"  We've  changed  our  course  several  times," 
spoke  up  Flagg.  "  I  think  the  '  old  man '  is 
scooting  for  cover." 

"  Fool  if  he  didn't,"  growled  Tommy.  "  They 
have  a  pretty  habit  of  court-martialling  naval 
officers  when  they  risk  their  ship  unnecessarily. 
178 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE. 

If  Captain  Brownson  should  fail  to  do  all  in  his 
power  to  escape  from  what  his  judgment  tells 
him  is  overwhelming  odds,  he'd  find  himself  in 
trouble.  Discretion  is  the  better  part  of  valor, 
even  in  the  navy." 

Suddenly  we  began  to  notice  a  peculiar  glow 
tinging  the  darkness,  and  reflecting  from  the 
polished  parts  of  the  gun.  It  came  suddenly 
and  with  a  spurt  of  ruddy  light  unmistakable. 

"  It's  a  fire  somewhere,"  exclaimed  Flagg. 
"  Look!  it's  getting  brighter." 

"  It  comes  from  this  ship,"  cried  "  Stump," 
edging  toward  the  port.  "  Is  it  possible  the  old 
hooker  is  on  fire?  " 

"We  waited  for  the  ringing  of  the  alarm  bell, 
or  the  call  to  "  fire  quarters,"  but  the  minutes 
slipped  by  without  the  summons.  Outside,  the 
ruddy  glare  tinged  the  surface  of  the  sea,  spark 
ling  from  foam-crested  waves,  and  forming  a 
circle  of  dancing  light  through  which  the  "  Yan 
kee  "  speeded  on  in  her  flight  for  safety. 

Our  curiosity  increased  apace,  and  we  watched 
eagerly  for  passing  messengers  or  for  some  stray 
word  that  would  explain  the  peculiar  phenome 
non.  It  was  Kennedy  who  finally  solved  the 
mystery — Kennedy  the  luckless,  he  whom  we 
dubbed  "  Lucky  Bag,"  because  of  his  propensity 
to  allow  his  wearing  apparel  to  find  its  way  into 
179 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

the  clutches  of  "  Jimmy  Legs."  Kennedy  had 
slipped  near  the  port  and  was  trying  to  perform 
the  difficult  feat  of  scanning  the  upper  deck 
from  the  opening. 

"  Oome  back  here  and  stop  that  '  rubber 
necking,'  No.  7,"  called  out  Tommy.  "  Do  you 
want  to  get  on  the  report? " 

"  For  the  hundred  and  'steenth  time,"  added 
"  Stump,"  with  a  grin. 

"  Perhaps  he's  seasick,"  suggested  "  Dye." 
"  It's  about  due.  He  hasn't  heaved  up  his  boots 
since  noon." 

"  Did  you  hear  what  l  Cutlets '  said  to  him 
yesterday?  "  spoke  up  "  Hay."  "  He  was  '  wig 
ging  '  Kennedy,  and  he  remarked  in  his  tender 
way,  '  Look  here,  you  hero,  why  don't  you  brace 
up  and  be  a  man?  You  are  continually  sick 
or  on  the  report,  and  you  aren't  worth  your 
salt.  Get  down  below  now,  and  fill  your 
billet.'  Poor  devil!  he  tries  to  do  his  best,  I 
guess." 

Just  then  Kennedy  faced  around  toward  us 
and  we  saw  that  he  was  laughing. 

"  What  do  you  think?  "  he  said.  "  It's  a  fire 
after  all." 

"A  fire?  Where?  "  we  gasped  simultaneously. 

"  In  the  furnaces.  I  saw  a  big  flame  leaping 
from  the  funnel.  Gee!  they  must  be  whooping 
180 


ADMIRAL 


VICE  ADMIRAL  REAR  ADMIRAL 


COMMISSION    PENNANT 


CHURCH     PEINNANT 


A   NARROW  ESCAPE. 

her  up  below  to  beat  the  band.  Coal  piled  up 
to  the  top  of  the  flues." 

"It's  oil,"  exclaimed  Tommy,  gravely.  "They 
are  feeding  the  fires  with  crude  oil.  That  means 
the  last  resort,  fellows.  The  '  old  man  '  is  trying 
to  get  every  ounce  of  steam  possible." 

Our  curiosity  satisfied,  we  felt  more  at  ease, 
and  we  lounged  at  our  stations  and  listened  to 
the  banging  of  furnace  doors  and  grating  of 
shovels  in  the  fire  room  below.  Occasionally 
one  of  us  would  venture  an  opinion  or  try  to 
exchange  views,  and  "  Stump "  even  started 
a  story,  but  in  the  main  we  were  quiet  and 
watchful. 

From  the  swaying  and  trembling  of  the  hull 
it  was  evident  the  "  Yankee  "  was  being  pushed 
at  her  utmost  speed.  Mess  gear  rattled  in  the 
chests,  the  deck  quivered,  and  from  down  in 
the  lower  depths  came  the  quick  throb-throb  of 
the  overworked  engines.  Presently  the  red 
glare  caused  by  the  upleaping  flames  from  the 
funnel  died  away,  and  darkness  settled  down 
again. 

"  I  guess  we  are  making  it,"  observed  Tommy. 
"  We  have  been  a  good  two  hours  racing  at  this 
gait,  which  means  a  matter  of  almost  forty 
miles." 

"  They  might  let  us  take  a  run  on  deck," 
181 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

grumbled  Flagg.  "  What's  the  use  of  hold 
ing  up  this  gun  all  night?  It's  getting  monoto 
nous." 

"  Here  comes  the  *  Kid,'  "  exclaimed  "  Dye." 
"  He  may  have  some  news." 

The  youngster  brought  a  message  to  Lieu 
tenant  Greene.  As  he  started  off,  he  whispered : 

"  We  are  going  to  '  secure  '  in  a  few  moments. 
It  has  been  a  great  scoot.  I  heard  the  captain 
say  to  '  Mother  Hubbub  '  that  it  would  go  down 
in  history  as  a  masterly  retreat." 

"  Was  it  a  Spanish  fleet?  "  queried  "  Hay." 

"  They  are  not  certain.  The  skipper  now 
thinks  that  it  was  a  convoy  of  transports  bring 
ing  the  army  of  occupation.  He  didn't  stop  to 
find  out,  though.  Say,  you  fellows  look  tired. 
Why  don't  you  '  pipe  down  '  ?  " 

He  scurried  off  with  a  laugh,  and  we  were 
just  settling  back  for  another  siege  of  it  when 
the  welcome  order  came  to  "  secure."  The 
order  was  executed  in  a  jiffy,  and  then  those 
who  had  the  off  watch  piled  into  their  hammocks 
with  a  celerity  seldom  equalled.  Santiago  was 
reached  early  the  following  morning,  and  before 
the  day  was  over  we  heard  that  our  neighbors 
of  the  night  before  were,  as  the  captain  had 
suspected,  a  fleet  of  transports  bringing  troops 
from  the  United  States. 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE. 

"  Which  doesn't  alter  the  fact  that  we  dis 
played  wisdom  in  taking  a  '  sneak,'  "  commented 
Tommy,  grimly.  "  It's  a  clever  chief  who  knows 
when  to  retreat." 

The  great  gray  ships  still  tossed  idly  on  the 
rolling  blue  sea  when  we  took  our  station  at  the 
right  of  the  line. 

It  seemed  more  like  a  panorama,  arranged  for 
the  amusement  of  an  admiring  crowd,  than  a 
fleet  of  floating  forts  ready  at  a  moment's  notice 
to  pour  out  death  and  destruction. 

The  flagship  "  New  York,"  gay  with  signal 
bunting,  was  the  centre  of  a  fleet  of  launches 
and  small  boats.  The  boats'  crews,  in  white 
duck,  lounged  in  their  places,  while  the  cap 
tains  were  aboard  conferring  with  the  admiral. 

The  torpedo  boat  "  Porter  "  flashed  in  and 
out  between  the  grim  battleships  in  an  almost 
playful  way. 

A  signal  boy  on  the  "  Brooklyn  "  held  a  long 
wigwag  conversation  with  the  flagship,  the  bit 
of  bright  color  showing  sharply  against  the  lead- 
colored  turret. 

It  was  hard  to  realize  that  only  a  few  days 
ago  these  same  ships,  that  now  rested  so  calmly 
and  majestically,  were  enveloped  in  clouds  of 
smoke,  their  great  guns  spitting  forth  fire  and 
a  fearful  hail  of  steel. 

183 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "7ANKEE." 

We  looked  at  picturesque  old  Morro  on  the 
bluff,  and  there,  close  to  the  lighthouse,  still 
floated  the  Spanish  colors.  It  was  aggravating, 
and  we  would  like  to  have  shot  the  hateful  bunt 
ing  away. 

We  had  no  sooner  reached  our  station  than 
the  boatswain's  call  echoed  from  one  end  of  the 
ship  to  the  other,  "  Away  gig."  Whereupon 
the  gig's  crew  rushed  below  and  "  broke  out " 
clean  whites.  No  matter  what  happens,  the 
gig's  crew  must  always  be  clean,  both  in  person 
and  apparel. 

Our  gig  soon  joined  the  fleet  of  waiting  boats 
at  the  flagship's  gangway,  and  lay  there  while 
the  captain  went  aboard. 

The  skipper  returned  about  noon  and  went 
forward.  Immediately,  we  heard  the  cry  "  All 
hands  on  the  gig  falls."  Then,  before  the  boat 
was  fairly  out  of  water,  we  heard  the  engine 
bell  jingle. 

We  were  off  again. 

Some  active  member  of  the  "  Rumor  Com 
mittee  "  said  we  were  bound  for  Jamaica.  And 
after  consultation  with  a  signal  boy,  who  came 
aft  to  read  the  patent  log,  we  found  that  we  were 
heading  for  that  island. 

The  wind  was  dead  ahead  and  blowing  fresh 
and  cool,  but  the  sun  was  hot,  and  the  boat- 
184 


"EVERY    HOUR     A    SIGNAL    BOY    CAME     RUNNING     AFT     TO 

READ  THE  LOG  "  (page  185). 


"ALL  HANDS  ON   THE  CAT  PALLS  !"     (page  186). 


A   NARROW  ESCAPE. 

swain's  mates  were  instructed  to  keep  the  men 
in  the  shade  as  much  as  possible. 

The  stress  and  strain  of  the  night  before  made 
the  few  hours  of  "  caulking  off/'  that  we  now 
enjoyed,  particularly  grateful. 

We  lay  so  thick  on  the  windward  side  of  the 
spar  deck  under  the  awning,  that  it  would  have 
been  difficult  to  find  foot  room. 

Every  hour  a  signal  boy  came  running  aft  to 
read  the  log,  which  was  attached  to  the  taffrail 
on  the  starboard  quarter.  The  log  worked  on 
the  same  principal  as  a  bicycle  cyclometer.  It 
had  two  dials  that  indicated  the  miles  and  frac 
tions  of  miles  as  they  were  reeled  off.  A  long, 
braided  line,  having  what  we  called  a  "  twister  " 
attached,  trailed  behind  in  the  water  and  made 
the  wheels  go  round,  a  certain  number  of  revolu 
tions  to  the  mile. 

Hour  after  hour  the  ship  rushed  through  the 
water.  The  engines  throbbed  in  a  regular,  settled 
sort  of  way,  that  reminded  one  of  a  man  snoring. 
The  wind  blew  softly  and  caressingly.  The  ship 
rolled  easily  in  the  long  swell.  It  was  soothing 
and  restful,  and  we  felt  quite  reconciled  to  life 
in  the  navy.  We  almost  forgot  that  we  were  on 
an  engine  of  war;  that  there  was  enough  am 
munition  below  to  blow  up  several  "  Maine's," 
and  that  we  were  cruising  in  the  enemy's  country. 
185 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  lANKEE." 

The  men  talked  cheerfully  of  home,  pursuits, 
and  pleasures,  for  it  was  too  fine,  too  bright,  to 
be  depressed. 

Finally  the  sun  went  down  in  a  blaze  of  glory, 
dropping  suddenly  into  the  sea  as  it  is  wont  to 
do  in  the  tropics. 

In  a  few  minutes  it  was  dark.  In  these  lati 
tudes  there  is  practically  no  twilight;  the  sun 
jumps  into  his  full  strength  in  the  morning,  and 
quenches  his  glory  in  the  sea  before  one  realizes 
the  day  is  gone. 

Soon  after  dark  the  lookouts  began  to  report 
lights,  and  before  long  we  found  ourselves 
steaming  into  a  fine  harbor,  which  we  learned 
was  Port  Antonio. 

A  delightful  feeling  of  security  stole  over  us. 
We  were  at  anchor  in  a  friendly  port,  the  in 
habitants  of  which  spoke  the  same  tongue  as 
we  did  and  sympathized  with  us.  We  turned  in 
at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  and  as  we  lay 
in  our  "  elevated  folding  beds,"  as  "  Hay  "  called 
them,  we  could  hear  unmistakable  shore  sounds 
— the  barking  of  dogs,  the  crowing  of  cocks,  and 
according  to  some  active  imaginations,  even  the 
bell  of  a  trolley  car. 

At  one  o'clock  we  were  wakened  by  the  call, 
"  All  hands  on  the  cat  falls."  We  slipped  out 
of  our  "  dream  bags  "  with  the  best  grace  we 
186 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE. 

could  muster,  and  went  forward  to  pull  up  the 
anchor  to  its  place  on  the  forecastle  deck. 

So  we  gave  up  the  pleasant  idea  that  we  were 
to  spend  the  night  undisturbed,  and  the  guns' 
crews  of  the  watch  on  deck  made  themselves  as 
comfortable  as  possible  under  the  circumstances, 
on  their  wooden  couch  around  the  guns;  viz.,  the 
deck. 

When  the  sun  rose  next  morning,  we  found 
that  land  was  plainly  visible  from  the  port  side, 
and  we  soon  learned  that  we  were  still  in  Jamai 
can  waters  and  would  arrive  at  Montego  Bay 
about  ten  o'clock. 

The  programme  was  carried  out  to  the  dot. 

The  "  Yankee  "  steamed  into  the  beautiful 
bay,  the  crew  "at  quarters,"  in  honor  of  the 
English  man-of-war  "  Indefatigable,"  which  lay 
at  anchor  there,  and  we  had  hardly  let  down 
our  anchor  when  a  fleet  of  "  bumboats  "  came 
chasing  out  to  us. 

Though  an  American  warship  had  never 
visited  this  port  before,  we  seemed  to  be  recog 
nized  by  these  enterprising  marine  storekeepers 
as  easy  prey. 

The  native  "  bumboat "  is  a  dugout  affair 

very  narrow  for  its  length,  and  seemingly  so 

cranky  that  we  marvelled  at  the  size  of  the  sail 

carried.  They  brought  fruits  of  all  kinds,  and  to- 

187 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

bacco,  so  we  didn't  stop  to  criticise  their  rig, 
but  showed  plainly  that  we  were  right  glad  to 
see  them. 

The  boatmen  and  women  were  all  colored 
people  and,  like  the  race  the  world  over,  were 
most  fantastically  and  gaily  clothed.  The 
women  wore  bright-hued  calico  dresses,  and 
brighter  bandana  handkerchiefs  on  their  heads. 
The  men  wore  flaming  neckties,  gay  shirts, 
and,  in  some  cases,  tall  white  or  gray  beaver 
hats. 

The  boats  were  filled  with  yellow,  green,  and 
red  fruits  and  brightly-colored  packages  of  to 
bacco,  the  whole  making  a  most  vivid  and  bril 
liant  display  of  color. 

The  crew  bought  eagerly,  regardless  of  price. 
Limes,  oranges,  mangoes,  bananas,  and  pine 
apples  came  over  the  side  in  a  steady  stream, 
while  an  equally  steady,  though  smaller,  stream 
of  silver  went  back  to  the  boats. 

It  was  a  harvest  day  for  the  Montego  Bay 
"  bumboatmen." 

Though  we  bought  the  fruits  without  hesita 
tion,  we  bit  into  them  gingerly,  for,  to  most  of 
us,  many  of  them  were  strange. 

Tom  Le Valley  brought  me  a  mango  and  said 
that  I  could  have  it  if  I  would  sample  it  and  tell 
what  it  was  like.  I  accepted,  for  I  had  not  been 
188 


A   NARROW  ESCAPE. 

lucky  enough  to  get  near  a  boat  to  buy  for 
myself. 

He  handed  me  something  that  looked  like  a 
pear  but  was  of  the  color  of  an  orange.  I  was 
just  about  to  bite  into  it  when  I  chanced  to  look 
up.  I  saw  that  I  was  the  target  of  all  eyes. 
Putting  on  a  bold  front,  I  sunk  my  teeth  in  the 
yellow  rind.  I  found  it  was  pleasant  to  the 
taste,  but  unlike  anything  that  I  had  ever  put 
in  my  mouth  before.  Still  the  fellows  gazed  at 
me.  Was  it  a  trick  mango  I  had  tackled  so  reck 
lessly?  I  determined  not  to  be  stumped,  and 
took  a  good  big  bite.  In  a  moment,  I  discov 
ered  why  I  was  the  "  observed  of  all  observers." 
The  last  bite  loosened  a  good  deal  of  the  peel, 
and  the  thing  began  to  ooze.  It  oozed  through 
my  fingers  and  began  to  run  down  my  sleeve;  it 
dripped  on  my  trousers  and  made  an  ineradicable 
stain;  my  face  was  smeared  with  it,  my  hands 
were  sticky  with  it,  my  mouth  was  full  of  it, 
and  still  the  blamed  thing  oozed. 

Then  the  unfeeling  crowd  laughed.  Some 
one  shouted  "  get  under  the  hose."  Another 
yelled  "  Swab  ho,"  whereupon  a  none  too  clean 
deck  swab  was  brought  and  applied  to  my  face 
and  hands,  protests  being  unavailing. 

I  afterwards  remarked  to  Tom  that  he  had 
better  try  experiments  on  himself,  or  present  me 
189 


A   OUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

with  a  bathtub  along  with  the  next  mango,  and 
I  have  since  learned  that  a  Distinguished  Per 
son  came  to  the  same  conclusion  when  first  intro 
duced  to  this  deceitful  fruit. 

We  enjoyed  our  stay  in  this  beautiful  island 
port  very  much,  and  it  was  with  great  reluctance 
that  we  obeyed  the  order  to  "  haul  on  the  cat 
falls."  As  we  were  walking  away  with  that 
heavy  line,  we  saw  a  liberty  party  from  the 
English  warship  start  for  shore  in  the  ship's 
cutters,  and  we  envied  them  with  all  our  hearts. 

The  town  looked  very  attractive,  set  as  it  was 
on  the  side  and  at  the  base  of  a  high  hill,  the 
red-tiled  roofs  of  its  houses  showing  against  the 
graceful,  green  palm  trees.  On  our  left,  a 
grove  of  cocoanut  palms  flourished,  and  beneath 
grazed  a  herd  of  cattle. 

Soon  the  ship  began  to  back  out,  and  then,  as 
the  bay  grew  wider,  she  turned  slowly  and 
headed  for  the  open. 

"  Lash  your  mess  chests,"  said  messenger 
"  Kid  "  to  the  berth  deck  cooks.  "  Orders  from 
the  officer  of  the  deck,"  he  added. 

He  turned  to  us,  who  were  standing  by  the 
open  port.  "  I  guess  we'll  have  a  lively  time  of 
it,  for  I  heard  '  Cutlets '  say  the  barometer  is 
dropping  at  a  terrible  rate." 

The  "  Kid  "  scurried  further  aft  to  give  the 
190 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE. 

order  to  the  boatswain's  mates  and  master-at- 
arms. 

We  looked  out  to  seaward  and  noted  the  black 
sky  and  the  rising  wind. 

"  I  guess  you  '  heroes  '  will  have  a  chance  to 
show  what  right  you  have  to  be  called  seamen," 
said  "  Stump,"  mimicking  "  Cutlets." 


191 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

WE  ENGAGE  IN  A  SEA  FIGHT. 

"  Watch  on  deck,  put  on  your  oilers,"  shouted 
the  boatswain's  mates. 

The  order  came  none  too  soon,  for  as  the  last 
man  ran  up  the  companion-way  ladder,  the  rain 
began  to  drop  in  sheets. 

The  rising  wind  drove  the  rain  in  our  faces 
with  stinging  force,  and  we  were  soon  wet  as 
drowned  rats. 

The  white-capped  seas  raced  alongside,  and 
the  "  Yankee  "  heaved  and  tossed  like  a  buck 
ing  bronco.  The  lookouts  at  the  masthead 
swayed  forward  and  back,  to  and  fro,  dizzily, 
and  the  officer  of  the  deck  on  the  bridge  had 
difficulty  in  keeping  his  feet.  The  pots  and 
pans  in  the  galley  banged  noisily,  and  ever  and 
anon  the  screw  was  lifted  out  of  the  water,  and 
for  a  few  turns  shook  the  ship  from  stern  to 
stem  with  its  accelerated  speed. 

A  number  of  men  who  had  partaken  too 
freely  of  tropical  fruits  manned  the  rail  and 
192 


WE   ENGAGE  IN  A   SEA   FIGHT. 

seemed  too  much  interested  in  the  seething 
water  below  to  notice  the  rain  that  was  dripping 
down  their  necks. 

For  a  time,  things  were  very  lively  aboard  the 
old  hooker,  and,  though  in  the  main  unpleasant, 
the  grandeur  of  the  sea  in  the  tempest  made  up 
for  all  discomforts.  The  flash  of  the  lightning, 
the  roar  of  the  thunder,  the  hum  and  whistle  of 
the  wind  through  the  rigging,  and  the  swish  of 
the  seas  as  they  dashed  themselves  to  spray 
against  the  sides  of  the  ship — all  this  made  an 
impressive  chorus,  more  stirring  even  than  the 
roar  of  cannon  and  the  shriek  of  shell. 

When  "  hammocks  "  was  blown  by  the  ship's 
bugler  at  a  quarter  to  seven,  we  found  it  difficult 
to  make  our  way  forward  to  the  nettings.  One 
moment  we  were  toiling  up  the  deck's  steep  in 
cline;  the  next,  the  ship  would  bury  her  prow, 
and  we  were  rushing  forward  pell  mell.  The 
boat  seemed  to  be  endowed  with  diabolical  intel 
ligence  that  night.  A  man  might,  perchance, 
stoop  to  tie  his  shoe  or  examine  a  freshly  stubbed 
toe,  when  the  ship  would  seem  to  divine  that 
she  had  him  at  a  disadvantage,  and  would  leap 
forward  so  that  he  would  immediately  stand  on 
his  head,  or  affectionately  and  firmly  embrace  a 
convenient  stanchion.  "  Pride  cometh  before  a 
fall,"  and  the  man  who  thought  he  had  caught 
13  193 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

the  swing  and  could  walk  a  chalk  line  on  the 
deck,  soon  found  that  the  old  boat  knew  a  new 
trick  or  two,  and  in  a  twinkling  of  an  eye  he  was 
sawing»the  air  frantically  with  his  arms,  in  his 
efforts  to  keep  his  balance. 

Though  the  force  of  the  tropical  storm  was 
soon  spent,  the  sea  continued  high,  and  loco 
motion  was  difficult. 

The  hammocks  were  given  out  by  the  "  ham 
mock  stowers  "  of  the  watch  on  duty.  They 
called  out  the  numbers  stenciled  on  our  "  dream 
bags,"  and  the  owners  stepped  forward  and 
claimed  them.  As  soon  as  a  man  secured  his 
hammock  he  immediately  slung  it  in  place,  un- 
lashed  it,  and  arranged  the  blankets  to  his  liking. 

A  group  gathered  around  the  capstan  aft, 
after  the  hammock  ceremony  had  been  com 
pleted. 

Some  one  said,  "  I'm  glad  I  can  sleep  in  a 
hammock  a  night  like  this;  the  heave  of  the  ship 
will  be  hardly  felt." 

"Yes,"  responded  the  "Kid,"  "I  wouldn't 
swap  my  '  sleeping  bag '  for  the  captain's  bed, 
to-night," 

"  That  reminds  me,"  said  "  Stump."   "  Speak 
ing  of  beds — when  we  were  in  New  York  a 
friend  of  mine  came  aboard  to  see  me.     He  had 
a  sister,  but  left  her  at  home." 
194 


WE  ENGAGE   IN  A    SEA   FIGHT. 

"  You  can  thank  your  lucky  stars  he  did.  If 
she'd  seen  your  weary,  coal-covered  visage,  you 
could  not  even  have  been  a  brother  to  her,"  in 
terrupted  "  Hay." 

"  I  guess  you're  right,"  responded  "  Stump," 
with  an  appreciative  grin.  "  Anyhow,  she  did 
not  come.  So  when  her  brother  got  home  she 
plied  him  with  questions — this  he  wrote  me 
afterwards — wanted  to  know  how  I  looked, 
asked  what  the  ship  was  like,  inquired  about  our 
food,  and  then  she  questioned  him  about  my 
stateroom.  Was  it  prettily  decorated?  Whose 
photograph  occupied  the  place  of  honor  on  my 
dressing  table? 

"  Billy,  my  friend,"  explained  "  Stump,"  "  is 
a  facetious  sort  of  chap,  so  he  told  her  that 
of  course  such  a  large  crew  could  not  all  have 
staterooms,  but  /  had  a  very  nice  one,  that 
could  be  folded  when  not  in  use,  and  put  to 
one  side  out  of  the  way.  It  was  made  of  can 
vas,  he  said,  so  constructed  that  it  would  always 
swing  with  the  ship,  and  so  keep  upright  in  a 
rolling  sea. 

"  She  listened  intently,  and  finally  broke  out 
enthusiastically :  '  How  nice !  ' 

"  Billy  almost  had  a  fit  at  that,  and  I  nearly 
had,  when  I  read  his  letter." 

We  all  laughed  heartily  and  trooped  below  to 
195 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

enjoy  a  few  hours'  sleep  in  our  "  folding  state 
rooms." 

The  next  day  dawned  bright  and  clear,  and 
warm;  with  nothing  to  remind  us  of  the  storm 
of  the  night  before  except  the  seedy  look  on  the 
faces  of  some  of  the  "  heroes  "  who  were  prone 
to  seasickness. 

The  sun  had  not  been  up  many  hours  when 
the  masthead  lookout  shouted,  "  Sail  ho!  "  To 
which  the  officer  of  the  deck  replied,  "  Where 
away? " 

"  Dead  ahead,  sir.  Looks  like  one  of  the  ves 
sels  of  the  fleet,  sir." 

And  so  we  joined  the  squadron  again,  after 
an  absence  of  twenty-four  hours. 

Nothing  had  occurred  while  we  were  away. 
Cervera's  fleet  was  still  "  bottled  up  "  in  Santi 
ago  harbor,  and  the  American  fleet  held  the 
cork  so  effectively  that  even  a  torpedo  boat 
could  not  get  out. 

After  preparing  the  ship  for  the  usual  Sunday 
inspection,  and  arraying  ourselves  in  clean 
whites,  polished  shoes,  and  stockings,  we  thought 
we  had  done  all  the  work  that  would  be  required 
of  us  for  the  day.  But  when  the  gig  returned, 
bringing  the  skipper  from  the  flagship,  we 
learned  that  we  were  to  get  under  way  right 
after  dinner,  and  steam  to  the  westward. 
196 


WE   ENGAGE   IN   A    SEA   FIGHT. 

After  "  turn  to  "  was  sounded  at  1:15  o'clock, 
we  noted  a  long  string  of  signal  flags  flying  from 
the  signal  yard,  which  we  found  requested  per 
mission  from  the  flagship  to  proceed  at  once. 
As  the  affirmative  pennant  on  the  "  New  York  " 
slowly  rose  to  its  place  on  the  foremast,  the 
"  Yankee's  "  jingle  bell  sounded,  and  the  ship 
began  to  gather  headway. 

At  "afternoon  quarters" — 1:30 — a  drill, 
new  to  us,  was  taught;  called  by  the  officers 
"  physical  drill,"  and  by  the  men  "  rubber-neck 
ing."  We  hardly  felt  the  need  of  exercise. 
The  swinging  of  a  swab  and  use  of  sand  and 
canvas,  to  say  nothing  of  "  scrub  and  wash 
clothes"  before  breakfast,  seemed  to  us  sufficient 
work  to  keep  our  muscles  in  good  condition; 
but  it  is  one  of  the  axioms  in  the  navy  that 
"  Satan  finds  some  mischief  still  for  idle  hands  to 
do,"  so  the  men  were  soon  lined  up — sufficient 
space  being  given  each  man  to  allow  him  to 
swing  his  arms,  windmill  fashion,  without  inter 
fering  with  his  neighbor. 

A  regular  calisthenic  exercise  was  gone 
through,  such  as  may  be  seen  in  gymnasiums  all 
over  the  country;  but  instead  of  a  steady,  even 
floor,  upon  which  it  would  be  quite  easy  to 
stand  tiptoe,  on  one  foot,  or  crouched  with 
bended  knees,  it  was  quite  a  different  matter 
197 


A   OVNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

to  do  these  "  stunts  "  on  the  constantly  rolling 
deck. 

At  the  order,  "  Knee  stoop,  one,"  we  bent  our 
knees  till  we  sat  on  our  heels.  "  Heads  up, 
hands  on  the  hips,  there!  "  said  Mr.  Greene  of 
our  division,  as  some  one  obeyed  an  almost  ir 
resistible  impulse  to  keep  his  balance  by  putting 
out  his  hand.  The  man  obeyed,  but  at  that 
instant  the  ship  gave  a  lurch,  and  the  poor  chap 
fell  over  on  his  head  and  almost  rolled  down 
the  berth-deck  hatch. 

The  laugh  that  followed  was  promptly  sup 
pressed,  and  though  the  exercise  was  not  carried 
out  with  a  great  deal  of  grace  or  ease,  Mr. 
Greene  seemed  to  be  satisfied  with  the  first 
attempt. 

We  steamed  along  all  the  afternoon  past  the 
coast  of  Cuba  and  within  plain  sight  of  the 
beautiful,  surf-rimmed  beach.  We  looked  for 
signs  of  the  enemy,  but  not  a  living  thing  could 
be  seen.  Not  a  sign  of  human  habitation;  not 
an  indication  that  any  human  being  had  ever 
set  foot  on  this  desolate  land.  So  beautiful,  so 
grand,  so  lonely  was  it  that  we  longed  to  go 
ashore  and  shout,  just  to  set  a  few  echoes  rever 
berating  in  the  hills. 

Toward  night,  we  turned  seaward,  and  the 
land  was  lost  to  view;  at  the  same  time  the 
198 


WE   ENGAGE  IN  A   SEA   FIGHT. 

"  Yosemite,"  manned  by  the  Michigan  Naval 
Reserves,  who  had  accompanied  us  thus  far, 
dropped  out  of  sight  in  the  haze.  She  was 
bound  for  Jamaica. 

A  ship  painted  the  "  war  color  "  now  in  vogue 
in  the  United  States  navy,  will  disappear  as  if 
by  magic  when  dusk  comes  on.  The  lead  color 
makes  any  object  covered  with  it  invisible  in 
half  light  or  a  haze. 

There  had  been  much  speculation  during  the 
day  and  evening  as  to  our  probable  destination, 
but  we  remained  in  ignorance  until  the  next 
morning,  when  it  became  known  that  our  orders 
were  to  call  at  the  port  of  Cienfuegos,  a  promi 
nent  city  of  southern  Cuba,  some  three  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  from  Santiago. 

It  was  reported  that  the  object  of  our  visit 
was  to  intercept  and  capture  a  blockade  runner 
said  to  be  aiming  for  that  port.  The  news  re 
ceived  an  enthusiastic  welcome  fore  and  aft. 
The  billet  of  "  fleet  messenger  "  was  becoming 
tiresome. 

The  land  had  been  sighted  at  two  bells  (nine 
o'clock),  and  all  hands  were  looking  for  Cien 
fuegos,  but  it  was  past  one  before  the  mouth  of 
the  harbor  was  gained.  The  "  Yankee's  "  crew 
were  at  regular  quarters  at  the  time,  but  a  hur 
ried  order  to  dismiss  and  clear  ship  for  action 
199 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD    THE    "  YANKEE." 

sent  the  different  guns'  crews  scurrying  to  their 
stations. 

To  add  to  the  interest,  word  came  from  the 
bridge  to  train  the  guns  aft  and  to  do  everything 
possible  to  disguise  the  cruiser. 

"  We  are  to  masquerade  as  a  blooming  mer 
chantman,"  chuckled  "  Dye."  "  This  reminds 
me  of  my  boyhood  days  when  I  read  pirate 
stories.  Do  you  remember  that  yarn  about 
Kydd,  where  he  rigged  painted  canvas  about  his 
ship  and  hid  all  the  ports,  '  Stump  '  ?  It  was 
great.  The  whole  piratical  crew,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  a  dozen  men,  kept  below,  and  when 
a  poor  unfortunate  ship  came  along,  the  blood 
thirsty  villains  captured  her." 

"  I  wish  they  had  caught  you  at  the  same 
time,"  retorted  "  Stump."  "  Then  we  wouldn't 
be  bothered  with  your  infernal  cackle.  Here, 
give  me  a  hand  with  this  mess  chest." 

By  this  time  the  task  of  preparing  for  action 
was  an  old  story,  and  we  made  short  work  of  it. 
The  call  to  "  general  quarters  "  followed  without 
delay,  and,  as  we  prepared  the  battery  for  action, 
word  came  from  above  that  a  large  gunboat, 
showing  Spanish  colors,  was  leaving  the  harbor 
in  our  direction. 

"  Which  means  a  scrap  of  the  liveliest  descrip 
tion,"  muttered  Tommy.  "  They  evidently  take 
200 


WE   ENGAGE   IN  A    SEA   FIGHT. 

us  for  a  trader  without  guns,  and  they'll  attack 
us  sure." 

Boom! 

A  six-pounder  gave  voice  from  the  spar  deck, 
instantly  followed  by  a  five-inch  breechloader  in 
the  waist.  Number  Eight  was  loaded,  and 
"  Hay,"  who  held  the  firing  lanyard,  snatched 
another  sight,  then  stood  erect  with  left  hand 
in  the  air. 

"  Ready,  sir,"  he  called  out  to  the  officer  of 
the  division. 

"  Fire!  "  came  the  reply  promptly. 

"With  the  word  a  vicious  report  shook  the 
deck,  and  the  gun  muzzle  vanished  in  a  cloud 
of  smoke.  Eager  hands  opened  the  breech, 
others  inserted  another  cartridge,  there  was  a 
shifting  of  the  training  lever,  a  turn  of  the  ele 
vating  wheel,  then  "  Hay "  stood  back  once 
more,  and  coolly  made  the  electrical  connection. 

Following  the  second  report  came  a  dull, 
booming  sound,  apparently  from  a  distance.  We 
eyed  one  another  significantly. 

"  It's  a  fort,"  quoth  "  Dye."  "  We've  got  to 
tackle  both  sea  and  land  forces." 

Presently,  while  we  were  hard  at  work  send 
ing  shots  at  the  Spanish  gunboat,  which  was  in 
lively  action  a  short  distance  away,  we  became 
aware  of  a  peculiar  whirring  noise — a  sound  like 
201 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

the  angry  humming  of  a  swarm  of  hornets.  It 
would  rise  and  fall  in  volume,  then  break  off 
short  with  a  sharp  crash.  Suddenly,  while 
glancing  through  the  port,  I  saw  something 
strike  the  surface,  sending  up  a  great  spurt  of 
water.  It  was  followed  by  a  dull,  muffled  re 
port  which  seemed  to  shake  the  ship. 

It  was  a  shell! 

"Whiz!  they  are  coming  pretty  fast,"  re 
marked  Flagg.  "  That  last  one  didn't  miss  us 
by  a  dozen  yards." 

"  This  isn't  Santiago  shooting,"  put  in  Tom 
my.  "  These  beggars  know  how  to  aim." 

During  the  next  ten  minutes  the  fighting  was 
fast  and  furious.  It  was  load  and  fire  and  load 
again  without  cessation.  There  was  the  old 
trouble  in  regard  to  the  smoke,  and  half  the 
time  we  had  to  aim  blindly.  Notwithstanding 
that  fact,  "  Hay  "  did  so  well  that  word  came 
from  Captain  Brownson  complimenting  him 
warmly. 

The  "  Yankee  "  seemed  to  be  the  centre  of  a 
series  of  eruptions.  The  Spanish  shells  kept  the 
water  continually  boiling,  and  with  the  splash 
ing  of  each  projectile  there  would  arise  a  geyser- 
like  fountain  accompanied  by  a  muffled  explo 
sion  which  could  be  plainly  felt  on  board  the 
ship. 

202 


TIIEHE  WAS  TEMrouAHY  CONFUSION  "  (page  203). 


WE  ENGAGE  IN  A   SEA  FIGHT. 

It  was  the  first  real  naval  battle  experienced 
by  us — the  bombardment  of  Santiago  being  of 
an  entirely  different  calibre — and  it  needed  only 
the  grewsome  setting  of  surgeons  and  wounded 
and  blood  to  make  it  complete.  That  soon  came. 

We  of  Number  Eight  gun  were  working  at 
our  stations,  so  intent  on  our  duties  that  the 
uproar  of  shot  and  shell  outside  claimed  little 
attention,  when  suddenly  there  came  a  louder 
explosion  than  usual  directly  in  front  of  the 
open  port. 

There  was  a  blinding  flash,  a  puff  of  stifling 
smoke,  and  then  Kennedy,  who  was  just  ap 
proaching  the  gun  with  a  shell,  staggered  back, 
and  almost  fell  to  the  deck.  Tommy,  the  first 
captain,  made  a  gesture  as  if  brushing  something 
from  his  breast,  and  then  leaped  to  the  injured 
man's  assistance. 

"  It  was  a  piece  of  shell,"  cried  "  Stump." 
"  It  came  through  the  port." 

There  was  temporary  confusion.  The  sur 
geon  and  his  assistants  came  on  a  run,  but  be 
fore  they  could  reach  the  spot,  Kennedy  recov 
ered  and  advanced  to  meet  them.  He  presented 
a  horrible  spectacle,  with  his  face  and  neck  and 
body  spattered  with  blood,  and  ~we  who  were 
nearest  saw  that  he  had  been  frightfully 
wounded  in  the  left  shoulder. 
203 


A    GUNNER   ABOARD    THE    "YANKEE." 

Notwithstanding  that  fact,  he  remained  cool 
and  steady,  and  never  made  the  slightest  indica 
tion  that  he  was  suffering.  "When  he  finally 
disappeared  down  the  berth-deck  ladder  we  ex 
changed  glances  of  surprise  and  sympathy. 

"  That  isn't  Kennedy,"  murmured  "  Stump," 
softly. 

"  We  didn't  know  him  after  all,"  said  "  Hay." 
"  Poor  devil!  I  hope  he  isn't  badly  injured." 

"  He  has  been  in  the  hardest  kind  of  luck 
since  we  left  New  York,"  spoke  up  Tommy. 
"  Seasick  half  the  time,  always  in  trouble,  and 
bucking  against  homesickness  and  everything 
else.  And  now  he  has  to  be  wounded.  It's  a 
shame." 

Our  thoughts  were  with  our  comrade  as  we 
served  the  gun,  and  when  word  came  a  few  mo 
ments  later  that  he  was  doing  fairly  well,  we 
could  hardly  repress  a  cheer. 

There  was  little  time,  however,  for  displaying 
emotion.  We  were  right  in  the  thick  of  the 
fight,  and  the  "  Yankee's  "  battery  was  being 
worked  to  the  limit.  It  seemed  as  if  the  air 
fairly  reeled  with  the  noise  and  clamor  of  com 
bat.  Shells  buzzed  and  shrieked  about  us,  and 
smoke  gathered  in  thick,  stifling  clouds  all  about 
the  ship. 

While  we  were  laboring,  stripped  to  the  waist, 
204 


WE   ENGAGE   IN   A   SEA   FIGHT. 

and  trying  our  utmost  to  disable  or  sink  the 
Spanish  gunboat,  an  incident  was  occurring  on 
deck  which  seemed  more  fitted  for  the  pages  of 
a  novel  than  those  of  a  story  of  facts. 

It  was  a  display  of  daredevil  courage  seldom 
equalled  in  warfare. 

The  lad  whom  we  familiarly  termed  the 
"  Kid  "  was  the  central  figure  and  the  hero. 
The  diary  of  No.  5  of  the  after  port  gun, 
from  which  this  narrative  is  taken,  says  of  him: 
" '  Kid '  Thompson  is  the  ship's  human  mascot 
and  all-round  favorite  with  officers  and  men. 
His  bump  of  respect  is  a  depression,  but  his 
fund  of  ready  wit  and  his  unvarying  good 
nature  are  irresistible.  He  is  eighteen  years  of 
age,  and  is  a  i  powder  monkey  '  on  Number  Six 
teen,  a  six-pounder  on  the  spar  deck.  This  gun 
and  Number  Fifteen  were  the  last  to  obey  the 
order  to  cease  firing  during  the  bombardment  of 
Santiago." 

During  the  fight  with  the  Spanish  gunboat  it 
chanced  that  the  port  battery  was  not  engaged 
for  a  brief  period,  so  the  "  Kid,"  with  the  rest  of 
Number  Sixteen  crew,  were  at  rest.  To  better 
see  the  shooting  the  "  Kid  "  climbed  upon  the 
after  wheel-house  roof.  The  shells  from  the 
gunboat  and  the  forts  were  dropping  all  around, 
fore  and  aft,  port  and  starboard;  they  whistled 

205 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

through  the  rigging,  and  exploded  in  every 
direction,  sending  their  fragments  in  a  veritable 
hail  of  metal  on  all  sides. 

The  fact  that  the  "  Yankee  "  had  so  far  es 
caped  injury  aroused  in  the  "  Kid's  "  breast  a 
feeling  of  the  utmost  contempt  for  the  Spanish 
gunners.  Coolly  standing  upon  his  feet,  he  as 
sumed  the  pose  of  a  baseball  player,  and  holding 
a  capstan  bar  in  his  hands,  called  out  tauntingly : 

"  Here,  you  dagoes,  give  me  a  low  ball,  will 
you?  Put  'em  over  the  plate!  " 

As  a  shell  would  fly  past  with  a  shriek,  he 
would  strike  at  it,  shouting  at  the  same  time : 

"  Put  'em  over  the  plate,  I  say.  Do  you  ex 
pect  me  to  walk  up  to  the  fo'c's'le  to  get  a  rap 
at  'em?  Hi,  there!  wake  up!  " 

Then  as  a  shot  fell  short,  he  laughed :  "  Look 
at  that  drop,  will  you?  Do  you  think  I'm  going 
to  dive  for  it?" 

A  moment  later  a  shell  flew  past  so  close  that 
the  windage  almost  staggered  him,  but  the  dar 
ing  lad  only  cried  banteringly:  "That's  more 
like  it.  One  more  a  little  closer  and  I'll  show 
you  a  home  run  worth  seeing." 

And  so  it  went  until  he  was  espied  from  the 
bridge  and  peremptorily  ordered  down. 

In  the  meantime,  while  this  little  episode  was 
in  progress,  we  on  the  gun  deck  were  laboring 
206 


WE  ENGAGE  IN  A   SEA  FIGHT. 

without  cessation.  A  dozen  shots  had  been  fired 
from  Number  Eight  alone,  when  suddenly  an 
other  fort  secured  the  range,  and  began  a  deadly 
fusillade. 

The     situation     was     becoming     extremely 
serious! 


207 


CHAPTER   XV. 

COALING   IN    THE   TKOPIC8. 

The  well-directed  fire  of  the  forts  at  the  en 
trance  to  Cienfuegos  was  rapidly  making  the 
"  Yankee's  "  position  untenable,  and  it  soon  be 
came  apparent  that  we  would  have  to  give  way 
before  overwhelming  odds.  Fifteen  minutes 
after  the  battle  began  between  the  Spanish  gun 
boat  and  the  "  Yankee,"  the  former  beat  a  hasty 
retreat,  steaming  back  into  the  harbor. 

It  was  plainly  evident,  however,  that  she  had 
been  badly  hulled,  as  she  yawed  wildly  while 
passing  from  sight  behind  the  headlands.  This 
of  itself  was  victory  enough  for  the  present,  and 
at  the  end  of  twenty  minutes'  firing,  we  with 
drew  out  of  range. 

Our  object  in  the  first  place  was,  as  we  ascer 
tained  from  forward  during  the  day,  to  intercept 
a  Spanish  blockade  runner,  the  "  Purissima  Con- 
cepcion  " ;  so  we  laid  off  the  harbor  and  waited 
for  the  coming  of  the  ship,  which  was  supposed 
to  have  left  Jamaica  for  Cienfuegos.  The  day 
308 


COALING  IN   THE   TROPICS. 

was  spent  in  cleaning  up  after  our  brief  but 
lively  battle,  and  when  night  came,  we  were 
again  shipshape. 

Shortly  after  daybreak  the  following  morn 
ing,  the  lookout  aloft  reported  that  a  steamer, 
evidently  a  man-of-war,  was  emerging  from  the 
harbor.  The  crew  were  called  to  "  general  quar 
ters  "  at  once,  and  every  preparation  made  to 
give  the  stranger  a  lively  reception.  She  proved, 
however,  to  be  the  German  warship  "  Geier " 
bound  for  Santiago. 

"  In  time  of  peace  prepare  for  war  "  is  a  good 
adage,  but  the  reverse  is  also  true.  Peaceful 
pursuits  are  of  a  necessity  carried  out  even  in 
the  face  of  the  enemy. 

At  "  evening  quarters  "  new  hammocks  were 
doled  out,  and  all  hands  were  instructed  to  scrub 
the  old  ones  next  morning  and  turn  them  in. 

By  this  time  we  had  become  quite  expert 
laundrymen,  but  we  had  never  tackled  a  stiff 
canvas  hammock,  and  the  prospect  was  far  from 
pleasant;  the  following  morning,  however,  we 
learned  how  to  perform  this  final  feat  of  cleans 
ing;  after  which  we  felt  qualified  to  wash  any 
thing — from  a  handkerchief  to  a  circus  tent. 

As  "  Hay  "  said,  "  I  feel  equal  to  applying  for 
the  position  of  general  housework  man,  if  I  lose 
my  job.  I  can  sew — you  ought  to  see  the  ele- 
14  209 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

gant  patch  I  put  on  the  seat  of  my  old  blues — 
I  can  '  scrub  and  wash '  clothes,  I  can  sweep 
beautifully,  I  can  make  a  bed  with  neatness  and 
despatch.  And  I  have  been  known  to  get  on 
my  knees  and  scrub  the  deck." 

"  You're  not  the  only  one,"  growled  Bill. 
"  Why,  even  '  Dirty  Greene '  escapes  the  afore 
time  customary  '  calling  down.' ' 

Greene  was  a  clever  fellow,  a  student  at 
Harvard,  the  owner  of  a  yacht,  and  a  good  sailor, 
but  his  college  education  did  not  help  him  to 
get  his  clothes  clean.  That  was  a  study  that  had 
been  left  out  of  his  university  curriculum.  The 
consequence  was  that  he,  with  a  good  many 
others,  was  "  called  down  "  at  every  inspection. 

"  Greene  is  getting  it  in  the  neck  now,"  said 
his  friend  "  Steve  "  ;  "  but  I  think  he  will  get 
even  some  day  with  his  cousin,  the  lieutenant 
of  his  division." 

"  How's  that?  "  we  chorused. 

"Why,  you  see  he  owns  a  schooner  yacht. 
And  his  cousin,  the  lieutenant,  is  very  fond  of 
sailing  and  never  fails  to  accept  an  invitation 
to  go  cruising  on  her.  Some  day  when  the  lieu 
tenant  is  aboard,  Greene  will  look  him  over  and 
discover  that  his  shoes  are  not  polished,  that  his 
hair  has  not  been  combed  properly,  or  his  white 
duck  trousers  are  not  immaculate.  He  will  then 
210 


COALING   IN   THE   TROPICS. 

be  sent  below  in  disgrace  to  repair  these  faults, 
and  our  friend  Greene  will  have  the  merry  Ha ! 
Ha !  on  him.  '  He  who  laughs  last,  laughs 
best.'  " 

We  one  and  all  wished  we  owned  yachts  and 
could  invite  some  of  the  other  officers — "  Cut 
lets  "  in  particular. 

Blockading  duty  is  monotonous  work,  though 
the  strain  on  the  lookouts  is  intense.  During  the 
day,  a  bright  lookout  must  be  kept  for  the  light 
est  tinge  of  smoke  on  the  horizon,  and  at  night 
for  the  faintest  glimmer  of  light,  or  a  deeper 
shadow  on  the  rim  of  the  ocean  that  would  be 
tray  a  ship. 

It  was  Tuesday  night,  and  time  hung  heavy 
on  our  hands.  Eight  bells  had  not  sounded,  and, 
though  hammocks  had  been  given  out,  neither 
watch  could  turn  in.  It  was  with  particular  glee, 
therefore,  that  we  welcomed  the  news  that 
"  Steve  "  had  composed  an  up-to-date  verse  to  his 
"  Tommy  Atkins  "  song.  After  some  persua 
sion — for  he  is  a  modest  chap — he  consented  to 
sing  it  for  us. 


"  The  first  two  verses  of  this  song  were  writ 

Before  we  sailed  away  for  Cuba's  Isle ; 
And  since  that  time  the  Spaniards  we  have  fit, 
And  chased  their  gunboats  many  a  weary  mile. 

211 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

We've  heard  the  bullets  whistling  overhead, 

We've  heard  the  shells  fly  by  and  called  it  sport, 

And  down  at  Cienfuegos 

We  proved  ourselves  courageous 
By  tackling  both  a  gunboat  and  a  fort. 

CHOKUS. 

"  Now  we'd  like  to  run  a  ferry, 

All  along  the  Jersey  shore  ; 
Fighting  Spaniards,  it  is  very 

Nice,  but  we  don't  want — no  more. 
We  would  give  our  bottom  dollar, 

And  of  that  you  need  not  fear, 
Just  to  hear  the  masthead  holler 

Brooklyn  navy  yard  is  here." 


"  That's  very  good,  '  Steve,' "  said  Greene, 
"  but  I  can't  quite  agree  to  that  line:  '  Fighting 
Spaniards  it  is  very  nice,  but  we  don't  want — 
no  more.'  I'd  like  to  have  a  few  more  raps 
at  'em." 

"  You  are  such  a  bloodthirsty  chap,"  said 
Flagg,  "you  slam  the  charges  into  your  old 
Number  Seven  as  if  you  would  like  to  wipe  out 
the  whole  enemy  with  one  fell  swoop." 

"Well,"  replied  Greene,  thoughtfully,  "a 
man  does  get  awfully  excited  when  the  guns 
begin  to  bark." 

And  every  one  of  us  knew  exactly  how  he 
felt. 

212 


COALING  IN   THE   TROPICS. 

We  maintained  a  close  vigil  until  the  six 
teenth,  of  June — two  days  later — then  sailed  for 
Santiago.  Shortly  after  entering  port  we  were 
informed  that  the  Spanish  gunboat  with  which 
we  had  been  engaged  off  Cienfuegos  had  sunk, 
sent  to  the  bottom  by  our  fire;  a  bit  of  news 
highly  appreciated. 

Our  stay  in  Santiago  was  short,  the  "  Yan 
kee  "  leaving  for  Guantanamo  the  next  day  at 
eleven  o'clock.  On  reaching  the  latter  port  we 
found  evidences  of  a  considerable  change  in  the 
condition  of  affairs.  On  our  former  visit,  as  the 
reader  will  remember,  we  had  engaged  in  an 
interesting  argument  with  a  gunboat,  a  block 
house,  and  a  fort,  driving  the  boat  back  into  the 
harbor  and  silencing  the  fort.  The  good  work 
done  that  day  had  borne  fruit. 

On  entering  the  bay  we  found  several  of  our 
vessels  quietly  riding  at  anchor — the  "  Oregon," 
"  Marblehead,"  "  Dolphin  "  (of  railway-train 
fame),  the  ambulance  ship  "  Solace,"  the  "  Pan 
ther,"  "  Suwanee,"  and  three  or  four  colliers  and 
despatch  boats. 

But  that  which  attracted  our  instant  atten- 
ion  and  brought  an  involuntary  cheer  from  us, 
was  the  sight  of  Old  Glory,  flaunting  proudly 
from  a  tall  flagstaff  erected  on  the  site  of  the 
former  Spanish  blockhouse. 
213 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

"  Hurray!  "  shouted  "  Stump,"  "  it's  the  first 
American  flag  to  fly  over  Cuba.  And  we  dug 
the  hole  to  plant  it." 

"  That's  right,"  assented  "  Dye."  "  We  are 
the  people." 

"What's  that  camp  on  top  of  the  hill?" 
queried  Flagg,  indicating  a  number  of  tents 
gleaming  in  dots  of  white  against  the  back 
ground  of  green  foliage. 

"  It  is  the  marine  camp,"  explained  "  Hay." 
"  Didn't  you  hear  about  it  in  Santiago?  Why, 
man,  it's  the  talk  of  the  fleet.  The  marine  corps 
has  been  adding  to  its  laurels  again.  The  other 
day  eight  hundred  of  them  landed  from  the 
"  Panther  "  and  fairly  swept  the  place  of  Span 
iards,  fighting  against  three  times  their  number. 
It  was  great." 

"  The  marines  have  a  fine  record,"  put  in 
Tommy.  "  I've  been  shipmates  with  them  for 
years,  and  I  am  free  to  confess  that  they  always 
do  their  duty." 

"  And  are  always  faithful,"  remarked  "  Dye." 

"  That's  their  motto,  '  Semper  fidelis.'  They 
have  lived  up  to  it  in  every  war.  They  antedate 
the  navy,  you  know." 

"How's  that?"  asked  the  "Kid,"  who  was 
willing  to  absorb  knowledge  at  times. 

Tommy  produced  an  ancient  book  from  his 
214 


COALING  IN   THE   TROPICS. 

ditty  box,  and  proceeded  to  read  an  extract  in  a 
loud,  sonorous  voice.  It  was  as  follows : 

"  Resolved,  That  two  battalions  of  marines  be 
raised,  consisting  of  one  colonel,  two  lieutenant- 
colonels,  two  majors,  and  other  officers,  as  usual 
in  other  regiments;  that  they  consist  of  an  equal 
number  of  privates  with  other  battalions;  that 
particular  care  be  taken  that  no  persons  be  ap 
pointed  to  offices  or  enlisted  into  said  battalions 
but  such  as  are  good  seamen,  or  so  acquainted 
with  maritime  affairs  as  to  be  able  to  serve  to 
advantage  on  sea  when  required,  that  they  be 
enlisted  and  commissioned  to  serve  for  and  dur 
ing  the  present  war  with  Great  Britain  and  the 
colonies,  unless  dismissed  by  order  of  Congress, 
that  they  be  distinguished  by  the  names  of  the 
First  and  Second  Battalions  of  Marines." 

"  The  date  of  that  resolution,"  added  Tommy, 
with  the  air  of  a  schoolmaster  impressing  a  par 
ticular  point,  "  is  November  10,  1775,  which  was 
before  any  naval  vessel  had  been  sent  to  sea 
by  the  Continental  Congress.  So  you  see  the 
marines  can  claim  priority  in  point  of  service." 

"  And  priority  in  point  of  landing  in  Cuba," 
added  "  Hod."  "  Here's  to  them." 

Our  discussion  on  the  subject  of  marines  was 
cut  short  by  a  summons  to  coal  ship,  a  task  which 
had  come  to  form  the  greatest  thorn  in  the  flesh 
215 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

of  all  on  board  the  "  Yankee."  The  ship  was 
run  alongside  the  collier  "  Sterling,"  and  the 
port  watch  was  set  to  work  at  once. 

From  four  to  six  and  from  eight  to  twelve 
p.m.,  and  from  four  to  eight  the  next  morning 
the  port  watch  shovelled,  hoisted,  and  carried 
coal. 

Coaling  in  the  tropics  is  a  very  different  thing 
from  similar  work  in  northern  latitudes.  The 
exertion  of  shovelling,  or  lifting  the  heavy  bas 
kets,  added  to  the  intense  heat  of  the  weather, 
makes  of  it  a  task  extremely  trying  even  to  those 
of  the  strongest  physique.  During  the  time  thus 
spent  in  Guantanamo  two  of  the  "  Yankee's  " 
crew  were  overcome  by  heat  and  exhaustion, 
and  compelled  to  ask  for  medical  attendance. 

Our  appearance  beggared  description.  The 
exertion  brought  out  a  profuse  perspiration  on 
our  half-naked  bodies,  to  which  the  coal-dust 
stuck,  thick  and  black.  The  black  rubbed  off 
in  spots,  showing  the  white  skin  beneath,  the  re 
sult  being  a  most  ludicrous  mottled  effect.  A 
dime  museum  manager  would  make  a  fortune  if 
he  could  have  exhibited  some  of  us  as  the  piebald 
wild  men  from  Guantanamo.  It  was  not  till 
afterward,  however,  that  we  could  appreciate 
the  humor  of  our  looks.  During  the  thick  of 
the  work  we  were  too  busy  to  note  the  funny 
216 


'  OUR    APPEARANCE   BEGGARED    DESCRIPTION  "   (page  216). 


'  TOOK  ADVANTAGE   OP  THE  TIME  TO    '  CAULK  OFF  '  " 

(page  220). 


COALING  IN   THE   TROPICS. 

side  of  things;  in  fact,  we  felt  quite  sure  that 
there  was  nothing  funny  about  it.  It  is  impos 
sible  to  awaken  the  sense  of  humor  in  a  man 
who  is  plying  a  heavy  shovel  in  the  hold  of  a 
collier,  or  lugging  a  weighty  basket,  while  the 
temperature  is  soaring  to  unknown  altitudes. 

The  ship  had  to  be  supplied  with  fuel,  how 
ever,  and  as  the  crew  had  neglected  to  ingratiate 
themselves  with  a  good-natured  fairy  to  wish  it 
aboard  for  them,  they  had  to  do  the  work  with 
the  best  grace  possible. 

During  a  "  spell  "  of  resting,  "  Hay,"  who  was 
a  bit  of  a  philosopher  in  his  way,  glanced  about 
decks  at  the  groups  of  panting,  perspiring  men, 
and  remarked: 

"  It  would  be  an  object  lesson  to  some  of  our 
friends  in  New  York  if  they  were  to  see  us  now. 
Just  look  at  those  fellows.  Not  one  had  ever 
before  been  compelled  by  ill-fortune  to  soil  his 
hands  with  toil,  yet  when  war  threatened,  and  it 
was  necessary  to  man  ships  in  their  country's 
service,  they  cheerfully  took  upon  themselves 
the  labors  of  a  common  sailor,  and  not  only 
fought  for  the  flag,  but  worked  hard  for  it  in 
menial  tasks." 

"  Menial  tasks  is  good,"  said  "  Dye,"  ruefully 
eyeing  the  baskets  piled  high  with  coal. 

"  Self-laudation  is  bad  form,"  spoke  up  Flagg, 
217 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

"  but  I  think  the  Naval  Reserves  who  are  man 
ning  the  different  auxiliary  cruisers — the  "  Yo- 
semite,"  "  Prairie,"  "  Dixie,"  "  Badger,"  "  Yan 
kee,"  and  the  monitors — as  well  as  those  serving 
on  board  the  regular  ships,  should  be  given 
credit  for  their  patriotism." 

"  The  boys  will  get  it  when  the  time  comes," 
remarked  "  Stump,"  confidently.  "  And  while 
we  are  waiting  we'll  just  carry  a  little  more  coal. 
Get  in  line  there." 

Kennedy,  all  this  time,  was  bearing  up  under 
his  trouble  splendidly,  and  when  the  launch  of 
the  hospital  ship  "  Solace  "  came  alongside  to 
take  him  away,  we  could  hardly  repress  a  cheer. 
He  was  lowered  over  the  side  in  a  chair.  As 
the  launch  steamed  away,  carrying  Kennedy 
and  two  other  shipmates  who  had  been  over 
come  by  heat,  there  was  a  lump  in  many  a 
throat. 

It  was  not  until  almost  dark  the  next  day 
that  the  bunkers  were  filled.  At  three  bells 
(half-past  five  o'clock)  we  dropped  the  collier 
and  steamed  to  sea  en  route  down  the  coast. 
Shortly  after  ten  the  "  Yankee  "  passed  the  fleet 
off  Santiago.  The  electric  searchlights  in  use 
on  the  ships  nearer  shore  made  a  particularly 
brilliant  display.  The  rays  were  turned  directly 
upon  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  and  it  was 
218 


COALING  IN   THE   TROPICS. 

plainly  evident  that  not  even  a  small  boat  could 
emerge  without  being  discovered. 

All  day  Sunday  we  steamed  out  of  sight  of 
land,  our  course  being  to  the  westward  and  our 
speed  a  good  fourteen  knots. 

For  four  hours  in  the  morning  we  scrubbed 
the  gun  deck,  washed  the  white  paint  work 
with  fresh  water  and  soap,  scrubbed  the  deck 
with  stiff  "  kiyi "  brushes,  and  polished  off  the 
bright  work.  By  noon  the  deck  had  its  pris 
tine  immaculate  look.  We  were  in  the  midst  of 
the  sloppy  job  when  "  forecastle  Murray  "  (one 
of  the  Murray  twins — they  looked  so  much  alike 
that  the  invariable  greeting  in  the  morning  was 
"  How  are  you,  Murray — or  are  you  your 
brother?")  came  aft  for  a  bucket  of  fresh  water. 

"What  do  you  think  of  this?"  he  inquired 
pugnaciously.  "  Here  we  are  scrubbing  this 
blooming  gun  deck  to  beat  the  band,  cleaning  up 
the  dirt  of  a  two  day's  coaling,  and  now,  for 
sooth,  we  are  ploughing  through  the  water  at  a 
fourteen  or  fifteen  knot  gait  and  burning  up  that 
coal  almost  as  fast  as  we  put  it  in." 

He  disappeared  up  the  galley  ladder,  grum 
bling  as  he  went. 

"  Another  county  heard  from,"  said  "Stump." 
"  It  does  seem  rather  tough,  but  here  goes  " — he 
gave  a  vicious  jerk  to  the  hose  he  was  handling 
219 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

and  the  stream  caught  "  Hay  "  full  in  the  neck, 
whereupon  "  Hay  "  saw  to  it  that  "  Stump  "  had 
a  salt-water  bath. 

By  the  time  "  mess  gear  "  was  piped,  the  ship 
was  very  clean,  so  during  the  afternoon  we  were 
left  largely  to  our  own  devices.  Some  wrote 
letters,  though  the  possibility  of  sending  them  or 
of  receiving  answers  was  very  remote.  Others 
gathered  in  little  knots  and  read  or  sewed,  and 
still  others  took  advantage  of  the  time  to  "  caulk 
off  "  and  make  up  some  lost  sleep. 

And  so  passed  another  Sunday.  Though  we 
might  not  have  a  religious  service  we  were  cer 
tainly  cleanly,  and,  therefore,  at  the  worst,  not 
far  from  godly. 

Nothing  of  interest  occurred  until  early  Mon 
day  morning.  Several  minutes  before  "  mess 
gear  "  Was  due,  a  lookout  at  the  masthead  re 
ported  smoke  in  sight  off  the  starboard  bow. 
The  engine  room  was  signalled  for  full  steam, 
and  the  "  Yankee  "  sped  away  in  chase. 

"  It's  our  day  for  scrapping,"  said  "  Stump." 
"We've  had  more  fighting  on  Monday  than  on 
any  other  day  of  the  week.  I  wonder  if  it's  a 
Spanish  cruiser?  " 

"  It  is  heading  for  Trinidad,  whatever  it  is," 
remarked  "  Hay."  "  Do  you  see  that  sloping 
hill  just  ahead?  It  marks  the  entrance  to  the 
220 


'THE  FUSILLADE  WAS  LIVELY"  (page  221). 


COALING  IN   TEE   TROPICS. 

little  port  of  Trinidad.  If  I  am  not  mistaken 
we'll  find  a  gunboat  or  two  in  the  harbor." 

"  Hay  "  proved  to  be  a  prophet. 

An  hour  later,  on  rounding  a  point  of  land, 
we  came  upon  a  small,  armed  launch  steam 
ing  about  near  an  old-time  roofed-in  gunboat 
which  was  riding  at  anchor  in  the  harbor.  As 
soon  as  we  hove  in  sight  the  gunboat  and  launch 
opened  fire.  It  was  at  long  range,  however,  and 
the  projectiles  merely  stirred  up  the  water  a  mile 
away. 

As  the  "Yankee's"  guns  replied,  a  two-masted 
steamer  made  her  appearance  from  within  the 
harbor  and  vanished  behind  the  keys.  The 
fusillade  was  lively,  we  firing  fully  one  hundred 
rounds,  but  there  was  little  damage  done.  After 
a  time,  the  launch  retreated,  and  we  went  out 
side  for  the  night. 

"  It's  the  last  of  that  scrap,"  remarked  Tom 
my,  the  boatswain's  mate,  as  he  piped  down. 
"  We  haven't  any  time  to  devote  to  such  small 

fry." 


321 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

"REMEMBER  THE  FISH." 

The  following  morning,  after  "  all  hands,"  the 
"  Yankee  "  started  westward  along  the  coast. 
Cienfuegos  was  passed,  and  presently  the  cruiser 
was  taken  nearer  shore.  The  lookouts  were  told 
to  keep  watch  for  horsemen  riding  near  the 
beach.  This  order  aroused  our  nagging  interest, 
and  the  majority  of  men  on  board  maintained  a 
careful  scrutiny  of  the  white  strip  of  land  just 
beyond  the  breakers. 

It  was  not  until  noon,  however,  that  our 
search  was  rewarded.  It  was  just  after  passing 
a  deep  inlet  that  one  of  the  lookouts  espied  a 
group  of  men  gathered  near  the  water's  edge. 
There  seemed  to  be  a  number  of  them,  and  not 
far  away  could  be  seen  a  blue  and  white  flag 
flying  from  a  small  staff. 

The  engines  were  stopped,  and  a  boat  officered 
by  Lieutenant  Duncan,  and  carrying  "  Hay  "  as 
interpreter,  went  ashore.  "  Hay  "  had  spent 
several  years  in  the  West  Indies  and  was  thor- 


"REMEMBER    THE   FISH." 

oughly  familiar  with  the  Spanish  language.  As 
he  was  unique  in  that  respect  on  board  the  ship, 
he  often  did  duty  as  interpreter. 

The  boat  landed  in  a  little  cove.  After  par 
leying  for  a  while,  one  of  the  landing  party  was 
seen  to  wigwag.  A  few  moments  later  the  boat 
returned,  bringing  three  Cubans,  one  of  whom 
was  the  Cuban  governor  of  Matanzas.  The 
others  were  a  captain  and  commander  respec 
tively.  "  Hay  "  was  immediately  surrounded 
and  asked  to  describe  what  he  saw  ashore. 

"  I  have  had  the  honor  of  photographing  a 
detachment  of  the  Cuban  Army  of  Liberation," 
he  replied,  quizzically.  "  To  tell  the  truth,  it 
looked  like  a  part  of  Coxey's  army.  There  were 
about  thirty  of  them,  and  the  clothing  of  the 
whole  outfit  wouldn't  supply  a  New  England 
farmer  with  a  season's  scarecrow.  They  carried 
guns  of  all  descriptions,  some  of  them  with  the 
barrels  sawed  off  short  like  cavalry  carbines;  and 
not  one  of  the  men  looked  as  if  he  knew  the 
meaning  of  a  square  meal." 

"  Like  Washington's  army  at  Valley  Forge, 
eh?  "  observed  Le Valley,  joining  the  group. 

"  Yes,  and  they  are  fighting  for  their  liberty, 
too." 

"  How  did  they  like  being  photographed?  " 
asked  Tommy. 

223 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

"  Tickled  to  death.  When  I  asked  them  to 
line  up  they  almost  fell  over  each  other.  Next 
to  eating,  I  think  the  poor  devils  love  to  have 
their  pictures  taken.  They  were  just  like  chil 
dren,  and  when  I  pressed  the  button  they  stood 
round  waiting  for  the  photograph  to  drop  from 
the  kodak." 

"  Reminds  me  of  the  Cubans  of  Puerto  Prin 
cipe  when  the  railway  was  built  to  that  place," 
put  in  "  Zere,"  the  chief  quartermaster.  "  A 
temporary  roundhouse  had  been  constructed,  and 
when  the  first  locomotive  reached  the  city  and 
was  placed  in  it  to  be  cleaned,  all  the  natives 
from  miles  around  gathered  there.  They 
crowded  the  windows  and  doors  and  were  evi 
dently  waiting  for  something.  Finally  the  en 
gineer  asked  one  of  them  what  he  wanted  to  see. 
'  We  watch  for  mule  to  come  out,'  was  the 
startling  reply." 

"Mule?"  echoed  Flagg. 

"  Yes,  that  was  the  only  motive  power  known 
to  them,"  grinned  "  Zere."  "  They  thought 
even  a  Yankee  engine  must  have  a  mule  some 
where  inside." 

"  That's  like  the  natives  of  Guatemala,"  spoke 

up  "  Hop,"  the  messenger.     "  When  the  street 

cars  were  introduced  it  was  the  usual  thing  for 

a  native  wishing  to  ride,  to  mount  the  platform 

224 


"REMEMBER   THE   FISH." 

and  knock  politely  on  the  door.  Some  one  in 
side  would  rise  and  open  it,  and  then  the  native 
would  enter  and  shake  hands  all  round." 

"  Fancy  doing  that  on  a  Broadway  cable  car," 
laughed  "  Stump." 

Our  imagination  was  not  strong  enough  for 
that. 

The  Cuban  guests  remained  with  us  for  sev 
eral  hours,  then  went  ashore,  together  with  a 
boat-load  of  provisions  contributed  by  the  ship. 

The  whaleboat  returned  to  the  ship  when 
the  watch  on  deck  had  just  been  piped  to  supper. 
The  other  watch,  therefore,  had  the  job  of 
pulling  her  up.  The  steady  tramp,  tramp,  be 
gan  and  the  boat  slowly  rose  up  foot  by  foot,  till 
it  was  level  with  the  rail,  then  there  was  a  sud 
den  jar  and  a  crash.  In  an  instant  six  men  of 
the  crew  were  in  the  water,  while  the  boat 
floated  away  by  itself. 

There  was  a  rush  of  feet  on  deck,  loud  shouts 
and  cries  of  "  Throw  them  a  rope,"  "  Set  adrift 
the  life  buoy,"  "  Where's  that  life  belt? "  and 
the  like. 

The  men  at  mess  jumped  up,  overturning 
cups  and  plates  and  dishes  of  food.  One  fore 
castle  man  pulled  off  his  jumper  and  dove  in  to 
help. 

The  sea  ladder  was  put  over  the  side  and 
15  225 


¥         A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

"  Long  Tommy  "  went  down  it,  taking  with  him 
a  piece  of  line;  this  he  slipped  under  the  arms  of 
Rowland,  the  forecastle  man,  who  had  struck 
an  oar  on  the  way  down,  and  was  hurt.  The 
man  was  soon  hauled  up  on  deck.  The  other 
four  were  also  rescued.  One  went  floating 
calmly  off  on  the  life  buoy  and  was  picked  up 
by  the  gig,  and  the  rest  caught  rope-ends  and 
were  safely  hauled  aboard,  none  the  worse  for 
their  involuntary  bath. 

Lines  were  coiled  down  again,  the  sea  ladder 
unshipped  and  put  in  its  place,  and  soon  all  was 
quiet  and  shipshape  again — but  we  discovered 
that  two  spit  kits  and  a  monkey-wrench  had 
been  thrown  overboard  to  aid  the  sinking 
sailors. 

"  It's  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  good," 
quoted  the  "  Kid,"  who  happened  to  be  sweeper 
that  week.  "  I  won't  have  to  polish  the  brass 
on  those  kits  again." 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  the  last  boat, 
smoke  was  sighted  to  seaward.  The  crew  was 
called  to  general  quarters  without  delay,  and 
our  ship  steamed  out  to  investigate.  After  a 
brief  but  exciting  chase,  we  discovered  that  the 
supposed  enemy  was  the  auxiliary  cruiser 
"  Dixie,"  a  sister  ship  of  the  "  Yankee."  She 
was  manned  by  the  Maryland  Naval  Reserves, 


"REMEMBER   THE  FISH." 

and  her  armament  was  composed  of  six-inch 
breechloading  rifles,  not  of  the  rapid-fire  class. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  her  commanding 
officer,  Commander  Davis,  was  superior  in  rank 
to  Commander  Brownson,  and  he  took  charge 
of  affairs  at  once.  Captain  Brownson  was  rowed 
over  to  the  "  Dixie  "  to  pay  his  respects,  and  on 
his  return  a  rumor  that  we  were  to  be  relieved 
of  coast  patrol  duty  by  the  "  Dixie  "  and  to  pro 
ceed  to  Key  West,  went  through  the  ship  like 
wildfire. 

Tom  Le Valley  brought  the  news  to  a  group 
of  us  gathered  on  the  after  gun  deck.  We  were 
just  discussing  the  peculiar,  and  apparently 
ridiculous,  degrees  of  etiquette  found  among 
naval  officers  in  general,  as  exemplified  by  the 
ranking  of  Commander  Davis  over  Commander 
Brownson. 

"  They  are  both  commanders,"  Tommy  was 
explaining,  "  but  Commander  Davis  happens  to 
rank  Commander  Brownson  by  sixteen  numbers 
in  the  official  list.  Both  entered  the  service 
November  29,  1861,  and " 

"Whoop!" 

Down  the  ladder  charged  Le  Valley,  wildly 
flourishing  his  cap.     He  stopped  in  front  of  us 
and  gasped:  "Hurrah!  we're  going — going  to 
the  United  States,  fellows." 
227 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

"  What's  up?  "  demanded  "  Stump." 

"  The  '  Dixie  ' " 

"Yes?" 

"  She's  to  relieve  us,  and  we  are  ordered  to 
Key  West  and  then  to  New  York.  We're 
going " 

"  Ratsl  "  broke  in  "  Hay,"  in  disgust.  "  You 
can't  give  us  any  game  like  that.  It's  a  rumor, 
my  boy.  We're  never  going  home.  The 
'  Yankee  '  is  the  modern  '  Flying  Dutchman/ 
and " 

At  that  moment  the  "  Kid "  appeared  in 
sight,  and  his  beaming  face  convinced  us.  It 
was  glorious  news,  but  not  one  of  us  felt  like 
cheering.  Our  emotions  were  too  deep  for  that. 
The  mere  prospect  of  seeing  home  again  was 
enough  pleasure  for  the  moment,  and  we  were 
content  to  talk  quietly  over  the  welcome  possi 
bility  of  soon  meeting  relatives  and  friends. 

The  "  Yankee  "  was  destined,  however,  to  ex 
perience  a  little  more  service  before  dropping 
anchor  in  home  waters. 

For  several  days  we  cruised  along  the  coast 
between  Casilda  and  Cienfuegos.  We  came  to 
know  it  very  well;  every  ravine  in  the  moun 
tains  was  familiar,  every  inlet  in  the  coral- 
bound  shore  known  to  us.  It  began  to  grow 
monotonous. 


"REMEMBER   THE  FISH." 

Time  lay  rather  heavy  on  our  hands,  but  not 
too  heavy,  for  we  were  put  to  work,  two  guns' 
crews  at  a  time,  coaling  in  a  new  and  torrid 
fashion:  the  coal  in  the  after  hold  had  not  all 
been  taken  out  during  the  northern  cruise,  so  it 
was  decided  to  pack  it  in  bags,  two  hundred 
pounds  to  a  bag,  carry  it  forward  and  stack  it 
in  an  unused  ballast  tank. 

Number  Six  and  Number  Eight  guns'  crews 
were  among  the  first  to  engage  in  this  pleasant 
occupation. 

We  found  heat  enough  below  to  supply  a 
good-sized  house  all  winter,  so  clothing  seemed 
unnecessary.  We  stripped  to  the  waist,  "  Gum 
ming,"  a  member  of  Number  Six  gun's  crew, 
remarking  that  he  thought  a  cool  glance  and  a 
frozen  smile  would  be  sufficient  in  such  a  warm 
climate. 

The  work  was  hard  and  dirty  and  the  heat 
terrific.  We  saw  no  necessity  for  the  transfer. 
Jack  never  can  see  the  need  of  work  unless  it 
happens  that  some  other  crew  is  doing  it. 

We  cheered  ourselves,  however,  by  singing 
"  There's  a  hot  time  in  the  old  ship  to-day." 

While  we  lay  close  inshore,   the   "  Dixie " 

cruised  outside,   and  toward  evening  the  two 

vessels  met,  and  together  we  went  to  Casilda,  a 

port  near  Trinidad.       We  stood  by  while  the 

229 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "JANKEE." 

"  Dixie  "  threw  a  few  shells  into  the  fort.  Two 
days  later  the  "  Yankee  "  parted  from  her  con 
sort  and  proceeded  to  the  Isle  of  Pines. 

It  was  here  one  of  the  most  laughable  inci 
dents  of  the  cruise  occurred.  While  steaming 
past  one  of  the  outlying  islands,  a  small  fleet 
of  fishing  sloops  was  discovered  at  anchor  in 
shore.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  such  un 
important  craft  would  not  have  been  molested, 
but  in  the  present  case  it  was  suspected  that  they 
formed  part  of  the  fleet  supplying  fish  to  the 
Havana  market.  To  destroy  them  was  our 
bounden  duty. 

"Man  the  starboard  fo'c'sle  six-pounder  and 
fire  a  shell  in  their  direction,"  ordered  the  cap 
tain  from  the  bridge. 

The  gun  was  loaded  in  short  order,  and  pres 
ently  a  projectile  went  screeching  across  the 
water,  dropping  with  a  splash  near  the  largest 
sloop.  Several  small  rowboats  were  seen  to  pull 
away  from  the  smacks,  and  it  was  evident  the 
crews  had  fled  in  terror.  Directly  after  dinner, 
the  "  Yankee's "  first  cutter  and  the  second 
whaleboat  were  ordered  away,  manned  and 
armed.  A  Colt  machine  gun  was  placed  in  the 
bow  of  the  former,  and  each  carried  an  extra 
squad  of  armed  marines. 

When  the  expedition  returned  it  had  in  tow 
230 


"REMEMBER    THE   FISH." 

five  decked  sloops,  one  of  which  contained  a 
quantity  of  fresh  fish.  Orders  were  given  to 
attach  the  latter  to  our  stern,  and  to  fire  the 
others  and  set  them  adrift.  Before  this  was 
done,  however,  enough  fish  to  supply  the  ward 
room  and  cabin  messes  were  taken  out. 

"  The  crew  can  have  its  share  to-morrow," 
quoth  the  captain. 

The  "  crew  "  waited  impatiently,  but  when 
the  morrow  came  it  was  found  that,  through 
some  one's  blunder,  the  sloop  containing  the  fish 
had  been  burned,  and  an  empty  one  towed  to 
sea  with  us.  The  joke,  if  it  might  be  so  termed, 
was  on  the  crew. 

The  watchword  heretofore  on  the  "  Yankee," 
as  on  every  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  ships,  had  been 
"  Remember  the  Maine."  Hereafter  it  was 
"  Remember  the  fish."  This  was  done  so  per 
sistently  that  the  officer  who  was  responsible  for 
the  blunder  was  dubbed  "  Fish,"  and  whenever 
he  went  near  any  member  of  the  crew  he  was 
likely  to  hear,  in  a  low  tone,  "  Remember  the 
fish." 

After  leaving  the  Isle  of  Pines  the  eastern 
shore  of  Cuba  was  rounded  and  a  straight  run 
made  for  Key  West.  At  noon  on  the  27th  of 
June,  just  twenty-nine  days  after  the  "  Yankee  " 
sailed  from  New  York,  we  again  entered  a  home 
231 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YANKEE." 

port.  The  time  was  brief  as  time  goes,  but  our 
varied  experiences  in  foreign  waters  made  the 
sight  of  the  stars  and  stripes  flaunting  over 
American  soil  particularly  pleasing. 

As  we  neared  our  anchorage  the  most  entranc 
ing  rumors  were  rife.  We  were  to  get  shore 
liberty  without  doubt,  and  the  ship  was  to  be 
coaled  by  outside  labor.  We  took  no  stock  in 
the  latter  rumor  till  an  officer  voiced  it — then  we 
believed.  Our  clean  blues  were  furbished  up, 
lanyards  scrubbed,  and  money  counted.  We 
understood  that  there  was  little  to  see  at  Key 
West;  that  it  was  a  dull  and  uninteresting  place. 
Still  it  was  land,  and  we  had  not  set  foot  ashore 
for  almost  three  months. 

If  we  had  not  been  so  anxious  to  get  ashore 
we  might  have  been  able  to  appreciate  the 
marine  picture. 

The  harbor,  if  it  could  be  called  a  harbor, 
was  full  of  war  vessels,  prizes,  and  colliers. 
Three  grim  monitors  tugged  at  their  anchor 
chains,  apparently  impatient  at  the  restraint, 
while  a  few  graceful,  clean-cut,  converted  yachts 
swung  with  the  tide. 

The  gunboat  "  Wilmington,"  and  the  cruisers 

"  Newark  "  and  "  Montgomery,"  floated  with  a 

bored  air.     In  ship's  language  they  said,  Why 

are  we  loafing  here?     Why  not  be  up  and  doing? 

232 


"REMEMBER   THE   FISH." 

The  "  Lancaster,"  a  fine  old  frigate,  the  flag 
ship  of  the  commodore,  had  a  fatherly  air  and 
seemed  to  say:  "  Be  good  and  you  will  all  have 
a  chance." 

Once  more  we  got  our  shore-going  clothes 
ready,  only  to  be  disappointed,  and  again  the 
promises  made  to  us  proved  elusive.  The  day 
following  our  arrival,  we  were  told  that  no  shore 
liberty  would  be  given  at  Key  West,  and  while 
the  reasons  were  all  sufficient,  a  man  who  has 
set  his  mind  on  an  outing  ashore  after  a  hundred 
days  at  sea,  finds  it  somewhat  hard  to  reconcile 
himself  to  the  inevitable. 

One  of  the  hardest,  if  not  the  hardest,  thing 
we  had  to  bear  was  the  lack  of  letters  and  news 
from  home.  "When  one  has  been  deprived  of 
all  tidings  from  his  own  people  for  so  long  the 
longing  for  word  of  them  becomes  almost  un 
bearable. 

In  the  midst  of  our  toughest  work  we  felt 
that  a  letter  from  home  would  act  like  a  strong 
tonic  and  brace  us  for  the  effort,  and  it  would 
have  done  so.  But  no  such  balm  came,  though 
we  eagerly  scanned  every  incoming  vessel  for 
the  signal  "  We  have  mail  for  you."  Now  at 
last,  though  there  might  be  tons  on  tons  of  coal 
to  be  put  in  at  Key  West,  though  the  ship  might 
have  to  be  scrubbed  and  painted  from  truck  to 
233 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

water  line,  we  felt  certain  we  would  get  letters 
from  home.  Letters  that  we  ached  for.  And 
so  when  we  sighted  the  fleet  and  old  fort,  and 
realized  that  we  had  reached  Key  West  and 
mail  at  last,  our  joy  was  too  great  for  utterance. 

The  whaleboat  went  ashore  and  brought  back 
two  bags  of  precious  missives,  with  the  sad  news 
that  eight  bags  had  been  sent  on  a  despatch 
boat  to  the  "  Yankee  "  at  Santiago. 

We  were  glad  enough  to  get  two  bags,  yet  we 
almost  gnashed  our  teeth  when  we  thought  of 
the  eight  fat  pouches  that  were  chasing  us 
around  the  island  of  Cuba. 

The  mail  was  brought  to  the  wardroom  and 
dumped  out  on  the  table  for  the  commissioned 
officers  to  sort  and  pick  out  their  own  letters. 
A  news-hungry  group  stood  the  while  at  the 
doors,  watching  and  mentally  grumbling  that 
such  an  awfully  long  time  was  being  taken  to 
accomplish  so  simple  a  thing. 

Finally  the  master-at-arms  was  sent  for  and 
the  worth-its-weight-in-gold  mail  turned  over  to 
him  to  distribute.  To  the  gun  deck  poured  the 
eager  throng.  The  master-at-arms  backed  up 
against  the  scuttle-butt  for  protection,  then 
shouted  out:  "  Let  one  man  from  each  mess  get 
the  mail;  the  rest  of  you  stand  off,  or  you  won't 
get  any  till  to-morrow."  The  rest  of  us  stood 
234 


"REMEMBER   THE  FISH." 

to  one  side  then,  realizing  that  time  would  be 
thus  saved. 

"  Jimmy  Legs  "  called  out  the  names,  and  the 
representatives  of  the  different  messes  took 
them.  We  heard  Kennedy's  name  called,  and 
a  murmur  of  sympathy  spread  around.  "  Poor 
chap,"  said  one,  "  he  would  give  the  use  of  his 
wounded  arm  for  that  letter." 

"  Yes,"  said  another;  "  he  has  to  suffer  home 
sickness  as  well  as  pain,  and  a  letter  from  home 
would  brace  him  up  as  nothing  else  could." 

Every  man  took  his  treasures  to  a  quiet  place, 
a  place  apart,  if  such  could  be  found,  to  enjoy 
them  alone.  The  few  who  got  none — well !  may 
I  never  see  such  disappointed,  sorrowful  faces 
again. 

The  letters  read  and  pondered  over  awhile, 
tongues  began  to  be  loosened,  and  soon  all  over 
the  ship  was  heard  the  buzz  of  conversation. 
Chums  told  each  other  the  little  items  of  news 
that  to  them  seemed  the  most  important  things 
in  the  world.  And  after  all  had  been  told  and 
retold,  the  men  gathered  in  groups  and  discussed 
their  past  months'  experiences. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  Craven  (a  descendant 

of  that  famous  line  of  naval  heroes,  a  seaman 

and  member  of  Number  Thirteen  six-pounder 

gun's  crew),  "  I  think  we  are  wonderfully  for- 

235 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

tunate  to  come  through  this  experience  as  well 
as  we  have.  Just  think!  We  have  been  under 
fire  five  times,  and  only  one  man  has  been  in 
jured.  "Why,"  he  continued,  and  his  hearers 
nodded  assent,  "  I  used  to  have  the  most  awful 
visions — thought  I  saw  the  men  lying  round  our 
gun  in  heaps,  while  fresh  ones  jumped  to  take 
the  places  of  the  fallen." 

"  And  they  would,"  said  messenger  "  Hop," 
who  happened  to  be  passing  on  his  way  aft  to 
deliver  an  order. 

The  "  Yankee  "  had  seen  some  spirited  fight 
ing,  though  most  of  her  crew  had  anticipated 
nothing  more  exciting  than  patrol  duty. 

Moreover,  it  was  almost  certain  that  we  had 
not  seen  the  end  of  active  service.  At  present, 
however,  the  crew  settled  down  once  more  to  the 
monotony  of  ship  life  in  port — which  is  about 
equivalent  to  garrison  duty  for  a  soldier. 


236 


SAW  THE  MEN  LYING  HOUND  THE  GUN   IN  HEAPS 

(page  286). 


'THE     DECKS   WERE   SWABBED  THOROUGHLY"   (page  240)- 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

IN    GOD'S    COUNTRY. 

The  "Yankee's"  stay  in  Key  West  was 
marked  by  one  of  the  most  melancholy  incidents 
of  the  cruise.  Thomas  Clinton  Le Valley,  one 
of  the  first  of  the  New  York  Naval  Reserves  to 
respond  to  the  call  for  volunteers,  died  from 
appendicitis  in  the  hospital  ashore,  to  which  he 
had  been  removed  for  treatment.  "  Tom,"  as 
he  was  familiarly  called  by  his  shipmates,  was  on 
board  the  "  Yankee  "  during  the  five  engage 
ments  of  that  vessel,  and  proved  himself  loyal 
and  steadfast  on  every  occasion.  He  was  well 
liked  by  the  officers  and  men  of  the  crew,  and 
his  death  was  deeply  regretted  by  all.  It  was 
his  fate  to  be  the  one  member  of  the  New  York 
Naval  Reserves  to  lose  his  life  in  the  service  of 
his  country. 

When  a  big  barge  heaped  high  with  coal 
came  alongside  and  was  made  fast,  we  began  to 
doubt  the  assurances  given  us,  that  the  coal 
would  be  put  in  by  outside  labor.  A  tug  hove 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

in  sight  shortly  afterward  that  caused  our 
gloomy  faces  to  light  up  with  gladness,  for  it 
carried  a  gang  of  negroes.  The  tug  made  fast 
to  the  barge,  and  its  living  cargo  was  soon  hard 
at  work  filling  the  ship's  bunkers. 

All  that  afternoon  we  "  lingered  in  the  lap  of 
luxury,"  as  "  Bill "  put  it.  At  six  o'clock  our 
dusky  (doubly  dusky)  coal  heavers  went  ashore, 
their  labor  over  for  the  day.  Though  the  work 
men  had  left,  the  work  was  still  to  continue. 
The  crew  coaled  till  twelve  o'clock,  working  in 
quarter  watches.  The  following  day  another 
barge  came  alongside  and  part  of  the  crew  had 
to  turn  to  and  help  the  hired  shovellers. 

"  So  much,"  said  "  Stump,"  snapping  his 
fingers,  "  for  the  officers'  assurances." 

Up  to  this  time  we  did  not  know  where  we 
were  going.  Of  course  the  "  Rumor  Commit 
tee  "  were  ready  with  news  of  destinations 
galore.  We  were  to  return  to  our  patrol  duty, 
to  join  the  Flying  Squadron  and  threaten  the 
coast  towns  of  Spain,  to  join  the  blockading 
squadron  off  Havana.  We  were  to  do  a  dozen 
or  more  things  just  as  probable  or  just  as  im 
probable. 

A  coal  barge  still  lay  alongside  the  star 
board  side  of  the  ship,  when  a  lighter  appeared 
and  made  fast  to  the  port  side,  loaded  with 


IN  GOD'S   COUNTRY. 

express  packages,  parts  of  machinery,  pipes, 
and  bags  of  mail  for  every  ship  on  the  Santiago 
blockade. 

"  Now  we  will  get  those  eight  bags  of  mail," 
said  a  forecastle  man,  exultantly.  And  from 
that  moment  we  knew  we  were  going  back  to 
Cuba. 

But  like  a  good  many  people  who  think  they 
know  it  all — we  didn't. 

Bunkers,  holds — almost  every  available  space, 
in  fact,  was  filled  with  coal. 

Then  began  the  much  dreaded  job  of  paint 
ing.  Stages  were  hung  over  the  side,  each 
manned  by  two  men,  and  with  much  reluctance 
we  began  to  daub  the  old  "  Yankee  "  with  gray 
paint. 

The  men  were  unaccustomed  to  such  work, 
though  some  could  handle  the  brushes  sold  in 
"  artist's  materials "  shops  well  enough,  and 
they  spattered  gray  paint  all  over  themselves. 
It  was  thought  easier  to  wash  skins  than 
jumpers,  so  many  were  decorated  in  wonderful 
fashion. 

"  You  would  make  a  '  professor  of  tattooing  ' 
wild  with  envy,"  said  Greene  to  "  Steve,"  as  the 
latter  appeared  over  the  rail. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,"  retorted  "  Steve,"  "  I 
am  thinking  of  reporting  you  for  misappro- 
239 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

priating  government  property.  You've  got 
more  paint  on  yourself  than  you  put  on  the 
ship." 

After  a  day  and  a  half  of  dreary  work  we  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  vessel's  sides  one 
uniform  color  from  stem  to  stern.  It  was  a 
big  job  for  such  a  short  time  and  our  arms  ached 
at  the  very  thought  of  it. 

The  sides  painted,  our  attention  was  given  to 
the  decks.  They  were  swabbed  thoroughly,  first 
with  a  damp  swab,  and  after  they  were  entirely 
dry  the  spar  deck  was  covered  with  red  shellac, 
this  being  applied  with  a  wide  varnish  brush. 
The  gun  deck  was  then  taken  in  hand  and 
treated  in  the  same  way. 

By  Saturday  night  the  ship  was  as  fine  as 
a  "  brand  new  jumping-jack  before  the  baby 
sucked  the  paint  off." 

Some  of  the  men  still  suffered  from  black-and- 
blue  spots,  which,  however,  a  little  turpentine 
liniment  would  have  banished. 

Rumors  were  rife  that  we  would  be  bound  for 
New  York  shortly,  but  few  believed  them;  the 
circulators  themselves  certainly  did  not,  of  that 
we  felt  sure. 

"The  idea!  "  said  "Mourner,"  who,  though 
ready  to  swallow  most  rumoristic  pills,  could  not 
manage  this  one.  "  Go  to  New  York  with 
240 


THE   SPAR  DECK   WAS   COVERED  WITH   RED   SHELLAC " 

(page  240). 


THE  MARINES  AIRED  THEIR   HAMMOCKS   OX   THE   FORK- 
CASTLE  DECK"  (page  244). 


IN  GOD'S   COUNTRY. 

eighty  bags  of  mail  for  the  Santiago  fleet!     I 
can  see  us  doing  it." 

"  Taps  "  sounded  at  nine  o'clock,  and  we  were 
glad  enough  to  turn  in. 

When  all  hands  were  called,  I  rubbed  my  eyes 
in  astonishment,  for  as  I  glanced  out  of  the 
deadlight  near  which  my  hammock  swung,  I 
saw  that  we  were  under  way  and  well  out  to  sea. 
I  put  on  my  togs  in  a  hurry,  and  after  lashing 
and  stowing  my  "  dream  bag,"  rushed  on  deck. 

Yes,  sure  enough,  we  were  at  sea. 

"  Stump  "  came  and  grabbed  me  round  the 
waist — he  could  hardly  reach  higher.  "  We're 
bound  for  New  York,"  said  he.  "  We  met  the 
'  St.  Paul '  going  in  and  the  signal  boys  say  we 
signalled,  l  We  have  urgent  orders  to  proceed  to 
New  York.'  What  do  you  think  of  that?  "  he 
added,  breathlessly. 

"  With  eighty  bags  of  mail  for  the  Santiago 
fleet,"  said  I,  thinking  of  the  poor  fellows  who 
were  longing  with  all  their  hearts  for  those  same 
bags. 

"  Regular  navy  style,"  added  "  Stump." 

Though  it  was  hard  on  our  friends  off  Santi 
ago  we  could  not  be  cast  down,  and  the  near 
prospect  of  liberty — of  an  opportunity  to  see 
home  and  friends,  of  again  setting  foot  on  shore 
— transformed  the  entire  crew. 
16  241 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Everywhere  could  be  seen  smiling  faces. 
Laughter  and  merry  chatter  filled  the  air,  and 
the  rollicking  songs  written  by  "  Steve  "  and 
others  were  more  in  evidence  than  ever.  The 
daily  routine  of  work  seemed  lighter.  There 
was  no  grumbling,  no  fault  finding;  even  the 
interminable  task  of  shifting  coal  was  carried 
on  with  actual  cheerfulness.  Grimy  hands  and 
blackened  faces  and  tired  bodies  were  forgotten. 

"  There's  a  mighty  good  dinner  waiting  for 
me  in  the  dear  old  house,"  exclaimed  "  Stump," 
unctuously.  "  I  can  sniff  it  afar.  And  say,  fel 
lows,  won't  we  forget — for  a  few  hours  at  least 
— that  such  things  as  reveille  and  scrub  and 
wash  clothes  and  coal  humping  and  salt-horse 
exist  on  earth? " 

"  Oh,  good  Mr.  Captain,  how  long  will  it  be 
before  we  hear  the  welcome  call,  '  Shift  into 
clean  blue,  the  liberty  party ! '  and  find  ourselves 
piling  over  the  side,"  groaned  "  Hay." 

"  You  will  be  glad  enough  to  come  back  to 
your  Uncle  Samuel,"  grinned  "  Steve."  "  "When 
your  time  is  up  you  will  be  waiting  for  the 
boat." 

"No  doubt,"  replied  Flagg.  "We  will  be 
ready  to  complete  our  time  of  service,  but  there 
are  some,  if  rumor  speaks  the  truth ' 

He  finished  with  a  significant  wink. 
242 


IN  GOD'S   COUNTRY. 

He  referred  to  the  many  threats  of  "  French 
leave  "  made  by  certain  members  of  the  crew — 
threats  which  did  not  materialize  except  in  a 
very  few  cases.  The  disgruntled  members  of 
the  "  Yankee's  "  crew  were  composed  mainly  of 
the  "  outside  "  men — men  not  of  the  Naval  Re 
serves.  Among  the  latter,  despite  the  unaccus 
tomed  hardships  to  which  they  were  subjected, 
a  firm  determination  existed  to  remain  until  law 
fully  mustered  out. 

The  trip  from  Key  West  to  New  York  was 
marked  by  only  one  important  incident — the 
celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July.  It  was  unlike 
that  familiar  to  the  majority  of  the  crew.  There 
were  no  fireworks,  no  parades,  nor  bands  playing 
the  national  anthem.  The  day  opened  squally, 
and  sharp  gusts  of  rain  swept  the  decks.  The 
usual  routine  of  work  was  proceeded  with,  and 
it  was  not  until  eight  bells  (noon)  that  we  fully 
realized  the  date.  At  exactly  midday  a  salute 
of  twenty-one  guns  was  fired,  and  those  of 
us  who  were  super-patriotic,  took  off  our  caps 
in  honor  of  the  flag.  That  ended  the  cere 
mony. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Tommy,  when  one  of 

the    boys    bewailed    the    meagre    celebration, 

"  never  mind,  shipmate.     There's  a  good  time 

coming  when  we  can  whoop  'er  up  for  Old 

243 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Glory  as  much  as  we  please.  Then  we'll  make 
up  for  to-day.  We  can't  expect  to  do  much 
under  these  conditions,  you  know." 

The  day  following  (a  fine,  cool,  bright  one, 
and  how  we  did  appreciate  it!)  was  spent  by  all 
hands  in  getting  the  ship  spick  and  span  for  the 
inspection  of  visitors,  who  were  sure  to  be  on 
hand  to  welcome  us. 

The  semi-weekly  ceremony  of  airing  ham 
mocks  and  bedding  was  indulged  in.  The  bugler 
blew  "  hammocks,"  whereupon  all  hands  lined 
up  to  receive  them  from  the  stowers.  They 
were  then  unlashed  on  the  gun  deck,  and  in 
spected  by  the  officers  of  the  different  divisions, 
who  ordered  that  they  should  be  taken  up  to  the 
spar  deck.  The  blankets  and  mattresses  were 
spread  wherever  sun  and  breeze  could  get  at 
them.  The  rail,  as  well  as  the  boats,  was  covered 
with  them.  Red  blankets  flaunted  in  the  breeze 
from  the  rigging  till  we  resembled  an  anarchist 
emigrant  ship. 

The  marines  aired  their  hammocks  on  the 
forecastle  deck  in  the  neighborhood  of  their 
guns. 

After  an  hour  or  two,  the  word  was  passed 
to  "stow  hammocks,"  and  soon  all  was  ship 
shape  again. 

This  duty  was  performed  once  or  twice  a 
244 


:  THE     BLANKETS     AND    MATTRESSES    WERE    SPREAD    FOR 

AIRING"  (page  244). 


"UNDER  THE  HOSE"  (page  253). 


IN   QOD'S   COUNTRY. 

week,  the  frequency  depending  on  weather  and 
circumstances. 

Wednesday,  July  6th,  we  passed  Sandy  Hook 
and  entered  New  York  harbor,  just  thirty-six 
days  since  we  left  it. 

As  we  made  our  way  up  the  channel,  a  pilot 
boat  hailed  us  and  told  us  of  Sampson  and 
Schley's  glorious  victory  over  Cervera. 

Though  our  joy  was  great  and  our  enthusiasm 
intense,  we  were  greatly  disappointed  that  we 
were  not  in  at  the  death.  We  felt  sure  that  if 
we  had  been  there  our  skipper  would  have 
worked  the  old  craft  in  near  enough  to  have 
given  us  a  shot. 

We  steamed  on  up  the  bay  and  through  the 
Narrows,  the  happiest  lot  of  Jackies  afloat.  The 
captain  of  every  vessel  we  met  pulled  his 
whistle  cord  until  the  steam  gave  out,  and  the 
passengers  cheered  and  waved  their  handker 
chiefs,  or  whatever  came  handy. 

The  health  officer  passed  us  in  a  jiffy,  and  be 
fore  eight  bells  struck  we  were  safely  at  anchor 
off  Tompkinsville. 

It  transpired  that  we  had  been  sent  North  on 
account  of  a  yellow  fever  scare.  The  health 
officer  proved  that  the  fear  was  groundless. 
Again  we  set  to  work  cleaning,  scrubbing,  pol 
ishing,  and  painting,  so  by  the  time  our  friends 
245 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

t 

came  crowding  aboard,  the  ship  was  as  neat  as 
a  new  pin. 

The  visitors — how  glad  we  were  to  see  them! 
Only  one  who  has  looked  danger  in  the  face  and 
realized  that  there  might  never  be  a  home-com 
ing  in  this  world,  could  understand  our  feelings 
as  our  relatives  and  friends — bless  them — came 
aboard. 

Fathers,  mothers,  brothers,  sisters,  and  other 
fellows'  sisters  crowded  up  the  gangway  to  greet 
us. 

And  all  were  welcome. 

The  second  day  after  we  anchored,  the  port 
watch  was  given  shore  leave  of  twenty-four 
hours.  So  we  donned  our  clean  blues,  and  for 
the  first  time  since  May  9th,  set  foot  on  solid 
ground. 

As  the  port  watch  came  over  the  side  the  fol 
lowing  day,  after  its  liberty  ashore,  they  were 
met  with  the  order  "  Shift  into  working  clothes 
at  once  and  get  those  shells  below."  The  red 
ammunition  flag  was  flying  at  the  foremast  head, 
and  all  thoughts  must  be  given  up  of  the  good 
times  ashore. 

The  starboard  watch  then  went  on  liberty 
ashore  and  the  port  watch  tackled  the  ammuni 
tion. 

From  noon  till  after  ten,  we  were  kept  busy 
246 


IN   GOD'S    COUNTRY. 

storing  thirteen-inch  shells  for  the  biggest  guns 
in  the  navy.  They  weigh  1,100  pounds  apiece 
and  are  dangerous  things  to  handle,  not  only  on 
account  of  their  weight,  but  because  of  the 
charge  of  powder  each  carries.  We  also  loaded 
eight,  six,  and  five-inch  shells  into  the  after  hold. 
"We  turned  in  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  were  roused 
at  3:30  next  morning  to  begin  the  same  heavy 
work.  When  the  starboard  watch  returned  the 
following  noon,  we  were  still  at  it,  and  they,  too, 
had  to  pitch  in  and  help  as  soon  as  they  could 
get  into  working  clothes. 

Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday  were  spent  in 
the  same  way — stowing  food  for  Uncle  Sam's 
mighty  guns. 

The  thirteen-inch  shells  were  crated  in  heavy 
planks,  bound  with  iron;  slings  of  rope  were 
placed  around  them  and  they  were  lowered 
slowly  into  the  hold.  The  eight,  six,  and  five- 
inch  shells  had  a  lashing  of  tarred  rope  and  a 
loop  by  which  they  might  be  lifted  and  handled. 

Charges  of  smokeless  powder  for  thirteen, 
eight,  and  six-inch  guns,  in  copper  canisters, 
were  also  taken  aboard. 

When  all  was  stowed,  we  carried  enough  ex 
plosives  to  blow  the  water  out  of  the  bay.  At 
half -past  two  on  July  12th,  the  anchor  was 
raised,  the  cat  falls  manned,  and  we  bade  New 
247 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

York  good-by  once  more.  A  brisk  northeast 
breeze  was  blowing,  kicking  up  an  uncomfort 
able  sea,  and  when  Sandy  Hook  was  passed  it 
became  necessary  to  close  all  ports  and  batten 
down  hatches. 

The  rolling  and  pitching  of  the  ship  soon 
began  to  make  things  interesting  on  the  gun 
deck.  Immense  green  seas,  shipped  at  inter 
vals  on  the  upper  deck,  sent  little  streams  of 
water  trickling  down  through  openings  as  yet 
unprotected. 

At  evening  quarters  it  was  all  we  could  do 
to  stand  upright.  A  number  of  men  left  their 
stations  suddenly  without  permission,  and 
seemed  to  take  great  interest  in  the  sea  just 
over  the  rail. 

As  the  sun  sank,  the  wind  rose,  and  with  it 
came  rain — rain  in  sheets — the  "  wettest  "  kind 
of  rain. 

When  the  port  watch  was  relieved  at  eight 
o'clock,  even  the  veriest  landsman  among  us 
could  tell  that  the  situation  was  becoming  seri 
ous.  We  turned  in  at  once,  determining  to  get 
all  the  sleep  possible  in  that  pandemonium  of 
sound. 

The  value  of  hammocks  in  a  heavy  sea  was 
proved  beyond  all  peradventure,  for  once  we  got 
into  them  and  closed  our  eyes,  we  hardly  realized 
248 


IN  GOD'S   COUNTRY. 

that  the  ship  was  almost  on  her  beam  ends  much 
of  the  time. 

From  time  to  time  we  were  wakened  by  the 
crash  of  a  mess  chest,  as  it  broke  from  its  lash 
ings  and  careened  around  the  deck.  The  mess 
pans  and  pots  banged  and  thumped.  At  inter 
vals  the  lurching  of  the  vessel  caused  a  mess 
table  with  the  accompanying  benches  to  slide 
to  the  deck  with  a  crash. 

At  twelve,  we  of  the  port  watch  were  wakened 
from  our  much-interrupted  rest  and  ordered  on 
deck  for  muster. 

As  we  slid  from  our  hammocks  we  realized 
for  the  first  time  the  fury  of  the  storm.  It  was 
impossible  to  stand  upright. 

The  old  hooker  rolled  so,  that  it  was  impossi 
ble  to  keep  from  sliding  even  when  one  lay  prone 
on  the  deck.  The  men  on  lookout  had  all  they 
could  do  to  hang  on.  One  moment  the  end  of 
the  bridge  would  rise  high  in  air  and  the  next 
almost  bury  itself  in  the  seething  waters. 

The  wind  roared,  the  lightning  flashed,  and 
the  thunder  rolled. 

The  dense  fog  hung  like  a  curtain  round  the 
ship,  so  the  whistle  was  blown  incessantly. 

The  boatswain's  mate  ordered  me  to  go  for 
ward  and  stand  an  hour's  watch  on  the  bridge. 
I  obeyed,  creeping  on  all  fours  most  of  the  time, 
249 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

till  I  reached  the  opening  between  the  deck 
houses.  I  escaped,  by  a  hair's  breadth,  a  sea 
which  came  over  the  side  like  a  solid  green 
wall. 

The  man  on  the  port  end  of  the  bridge  whom 
1  relieved,  shouted  in  my  ear — he  could  not  be 
heard  otherwise — "  You  want  to  get  a  good  hold 
or  you'll  be  fired  overboard  in  a  jiffy."  Then 
he  left  me. 

It  was  the  kind  of  a  night  one  felt  the  need 
of  companionship.  I  spent  a  lonely  hour  on 
the  bridge,  eyes  and  ears  strained  for  signs  of 
other  vessels,  face  and  hands  stung  by  the  pelt 
ing  rain.  Underlying  all  other  thoughts  was 
the  consciousness  that  we  carried  several  hun 
dred  tons  of  deadly  explosive  that  might  shift 
any  moment  or  be  ignited  by  a  spark  from  a 
lamp  and  explode. 

The  sandbags  stored  about  the  steering  gear 
broke  loose  and  were  heaped  in  picturesque  con 
fusion.  The  scene  aft  was  indescribable.  A 
quantity  of  debris  of  varying  nature  slid  across 
the  smooth  surface  of  the  gun  deck  with  a  rush 
at  every  roll,  making  navigation  a  difficult,  if 
not  perilous,  task.  Later,  to  add  to  the  tumult, 
one  man's  hammock  was  cut  down  by  a  falling 
mess  table,  but  he  escaped  serious  injury. 

It  was  not  until  the  following  morning  that 
250 


I  ST  REPEATER.  PREPARATORY 


2ND  REPEATER  ANSWERING- 


3  RD  REPEATER  MEAL  OR  NUMERAL 


K 

CORNET 


AFFIRMATIVE 


7 


GUARD 


QUARANTINE 


TELEGRAPH  DANGER  OR  DESIGNATING 


+* 


DISPATCH  OR  GEOGRAPHICAL       ANNULING 


GENERAL  RECALL  COMPASS 


NEGATIVE 


10 


INTERROGATIVE.  POWDER 


IN   GOD' 8   COUNTRY. 

the  seas  subsided,  but  the  day  proved  pleasant, 
and  the  mishaps  of  the  preceding  afternoon  were 
forgotten  in  the  excitement  of  reaching  Norfolk, 
which  port  was  reached  by  the  "  Yankee " 
shortly  before  dark.  Later  in  the  evening  the 
ship  was  taken  to  the  navy  yard. 

"  Which  means  that  we  are  going  to  hustle 
more  ammunition,"  observed  Tommy,  as  we 
made  fast  to  a  dock. 

"  And  more  stores,"  added  "  Dye." 

"  And  coal,"  chimed  in  "  Stump,"  with  a 
grimace.  "  I  am  glad  of  it,  too." 

"Glad  of  it?"  echoed  "Dye,"  in  surprise. 
"  That's  queer." 

"  Not  at  all,  dear  boy,"  was  the  second  loader's 
calm  reply.  "  D'ye  see,  I  am  in  training  for 
the  billet  of  chief  deck  hand  on  a  tramp  canal 
boat,  and  this  experience  is  just  in  my  line." 

Four  days  later  the  mooring  hawsers  were  cast 
off  and  the  "  Yankee  "  steamed  out  between  the 
capes  en  route  to  Santiago.  From  the  hour  we 
left  Norfolk  until  the  sighting  of  the  Cuban 
coast,  our  time  was  taken  up  with  drills  of  every 
description.  The  following  extract  from  the  log 
for  July  18th,  will  suffice  for  an  example: 

"  Cleared  ship  for  action  at  three  bells  along 
with  general  quarters.  General  quarters  again 
half  an  hour  after  turn  to  at  noon.  Fire  drill 
251 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

and  abandon  ship  at  three  bells  in  the  afternoon. 
General  quarters  again  at  two  bells  (9  p.m.)." 

Under  date  of  July  19th,  one  of  the  crew 
states  in  his  private  diary:  "  Clear  ship  for  action 
again.  This  is  a  very  pretty  drill,  and  is  much 
liked  by  the  boys,  as  it  includes  sending  all  the 
mess  gear  and  provisions  below,  where  most  of 
them  are  usually  'pinched.'  Clear  ship  for  action 
always  means  an  exchange  of  undesirable  mess 
gear,  such  as  broken  benches,  tables,  etc.  Gen 
eral  quarters  at  1:30;  fired  two  shots  at  an  in 
visible  target  with  smokeless  powder.  Great 
success,  this  new  powder.  If  we  had  only  been 
provided  with  it  before,  every  living  Spaniard 
would  have  trembled  at  the  word  l  Yankee  '  !  " 

"  What  are  we  doing  all  this  clear  ship,  gen 
eral  quarters,  fire  drill,  and  such  business  for?  " 
said  a  forecastle  man  to  Craven,  who,  besides 
being  on  a  deck  gun,  from  which  all  that  was 
occurring  on  the  bridge  could  be  seen,  was  a 
messenger. 

"  Why,  don't  you  know? "  said  the  latter. 
"  We  have  a  war  artist  aboard,  and  all  this  extra 
drilling  is  being  done  for  his  special  benefit,  so 
he  can  work  it  up  for  his  paper,  I  suppose." 

"  Well,  if  we  ever  get  that  artist  aboard  the 
old  '  New  Hampshire '  we  will  teach  him  a  few 
things,  so  he  can  describe  them  from  actual  ex- 
252 


IN  GOD'S   COUNTRY. 

perience,"  said  "  Hod  "  the  husky.  "  He'll  be 
able  to  describe  scrub  and  wash  clothes,  sweep 
ing  decks,  washing  dishes,  and  all  the  rest,  most 
vividly,"  he  continued,  vindictively.  "  "We'll 
show  him  how  we  get  under  the  hose  in  the 
morning.  Oh,  we'll  have  a  bully  time  with 
him,  and  I'll  wager  that  when  we're  through 
the  honors  of  naval  battles  will  seem  too  trivial 
for  him  to  draw!  " 


253 


CHAPTEK 


THE  "  YANKEE  "  ARRIVES  OFF  SANTIAGO. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  July  the  "  Yankee  " 
arrived  off  Santiago.  The  "  Brooklyn  "  was  the 
only  warship  on  guard,  and  the  absence  of  that 
grim  line  of  drab-colored  ships  changed  the 
whole  appearance  of  the  coast.  The  "  Brook 
lyn  "  seemed  lonely,  though  she  rode  the  seas 
proudly.  "  See,"  she  seemed  to  say,  "  I  am 
monarch  of  all  I  survey  "  ;  and  she  looked  every 
inch  a  queen,  as  she  swayed  slowly  in  the  long 
ground  swell,  her  ensign  snapping  in  the  brisk 
breeze  and  Admiral  Schley's  flag  standing  out 
like  a  board.  From  our  proximity  to  the  shore 
we  were  enabled  to  obtain  a  better  view  than 
before.  Old  Morro  Castle,  perched  above  the 
mouth  of  the  channel,  seemed  battered  and  for 
lorn.  The  Stars  and  Stripes  floated  on  high 
exultingly  from  the  very  staff  that  formerly 
bore  the  Spanish  colors,  and  we  thrilled  when  we 
saw  it.  The  wreck  of  the  "  Reina  Mercedes  " 
could  be  plainly  made  out,  and  beyond  her  could 

254 


THE  "  YANKEE  "  ARRIVES  OFF  SANTIAGO. 

also  be  seen  the  masts  and  stack  of  the  "  Merri- 
mac  " — a  monument  to  American  heroism. 

With  the  TJ.  S.  S.  "  Yankton  "  (which  had 
run  out  of  coal)  in  tow,  we  proceeded  to  Guan- 
tanamo.  While  entering  the  bay,  the  first  fleet 
of  transports  bearing  troops  for  the  invasion  of 
Porto  Rico  was  encountered.  Inside  the  har 
bor  a  vast  squadron  of  American  ships  lay  at 
anchor — some  forty  vessels  in  all.  The  spectacle 
of  such  a  mighty  fleet  bearing  our  beloved  colors 
was  indeed  inspiring. 

We  found  the  "Iowa,"  "Massachusetts," 
"Indiana,"  "Oregon,"  "Texas,"  "New  York," 
"Marblehead,"  "Detroit,"  "Newark,"  "Por 
ter,"  "  Terror,"  "  Gloucester,"  the  repair  ship 
"  Vulcan,"  several  despatch  boats  and  colliers 
in  the  bay.  Two  gunboats  and  several  steamers 
captured  at  Santiago  also  bore  the  American 
colors. 

Such  a  fleet  many  an  important  port  has 
never  seen,  and  in  New  York  harbor  would 
draw  immense  crowds.  Here  the  spectacle  was 
wasted  on  unappreciative  Cubans. 

The  bay  presented  a  lively  appearance  with 
the  innumerable  little  launches  and  despatch 
boats  darting  about  from  ship  to  ship.  Vessels 
went  alongside  sailing  colliers  to  have  their 
bunkers  replenished;  other  ships  entered  or  left 
255 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

at  all  hours;  signals  were  continually  flying  from 
the  flagship;  occasionally  a  Spanish  launch  bear 
ing  a  flag  of  truce  would  come  down  from  the 
town,  and  in  the  midst  of  it  all  the  crews  of  the 
different  men-of-war  worked  on  in  the  accus 
tomed  routine,  as  if  peace  and  war,  drills  and 
fighting,  were  all  a  part  of  man's  ordinary  exist 
ence. 

Over  a  month  ago  we  had  sailed  into  this  har 
bor  with  the  "  Marblehead  " ;  the  ship  cleared 
for  action,  the  crews  at  their  loaded  guns,  and  the 
battle  ensigns  flying  from  fore  and  mainmast, 
as  well  as  from  taffrail.  This  time  we  entered 
the  bay  with  a  feeling  that  we  were  to  take  part 
in  a  great  naval  spectacle. 

As  soon  as  we  joined  the  fleet  we  became 
amenable  to  fleet  discipline.  All  orders  for  rou 
tine  work  came  from  the  flagship.  "  Quarters  " 
were  held  but  twice  a  day  instead  of  three  times, 
and  then  they  were  short  and,  therefore,  sweet. 

Each  morning  at  eight  o'clock,  when  a  war 
vessel  is  in  port,  the  bugler  plays  "  colors,"  while 
the  drummer  beats  three  rolls;  those  of  the 
crew  who  are  under  the  open  sky  stand  at  atten 
tion,  silent,  facing  aft,  where  the  flag  is  being 
hauled  slowly  to  its  place.  At  the  completion 
of  the  call  all  hands  salute;  then  the  work  is 
carried  on.  It  is  a  beautiful  ceremony. 
256 


THE    "  YANKEE  "   ARRIVES    OFF   SANTIAGO. 

Saluting  the  "  colors  "  morning  and  evening 
is  not  merely  a  mark  of  respect  for  the  Govern 
ment  of  the  nation,  but  is  an  act  of  worship  to 
the  God  of  nations — a  silent  prayer  for  guid 
ance  and  care  and  an  expression  of  thankful 
ness. 

Shortly  after  "  colors  "  the  morning  following 
our  arrival  at  Guantanamo,  orders  were  given 
to  "  turn  to  "  on  the  ammunition.  Launches 
and  barges  from  other  warships  came  alongside, 
and  the  charges  of  powder  and  the  shells  were 
transferred  to  them. 

When  this  cargo  of  deadly  explosive  began 
to  come  aboard  a  "  magazine  watch  "  was  set. 
The  ammunition  was  stowed  in  all  parts  of  the 
ship — forward,  main,  and  after'  holds  were  filled. 
A  watch  was  set  on  each  of  the  holds.  It  was 
their  duty  to  watch  the  temperature  day  and 
night  and  to  report  the  same  to  the  officer  of  the 
deck  every  half  hour.  Extreme  care  was  taken 
to  guard  against  fire.  In  case  fire  was  discovered, 
it  was  the  duty  of  the  man  on  watch  to  run  and 
turn  on  the  water — the  key  for  the  valve  which 
regulated  this  being  always  carried  on  his  wrist. 
Then  he  must  notify  the  officer  of  the  deck, 
shouting  "  fire  "  as  he  went,  after  which  he  must 
go  back  and  with  the  hose  endeavor  to  put  out 
the  blaze. 

17  257 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD    T1IE    "YANKEE." 

Constant,  wide-awake,  alert  watchfulness  was 
necessary.  It  was  hot  and  close  below,  and  at 
night  it  was  almost  impossible  to  keep  awake. 
It  is  difficult  enough  to  keep  wide  awake  for  an 
hour's  lookout  on  deck,  when  there  is  much  to 
see  and  the  air  is  brisk  and  invigorating,  but  it  is 
quite  a  different  matter  to  be  roused  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  night  to  stand  two  hours'  watch  in  a 
close,  hot  hold,  where  nothing  more  interesting 
than  cases  of  powder  and  the  bare,  blank  sides 
of  the  ship  are  to  be  seen. 

At  first,  the  knowledge  that  the  lives  of  all 
on  board  and  the  safety  of  the  ship  herself  de 
pended  on  the  alertness  of  the  watch,  kept  us 
wide  awake  and  anxious,  but  as  time  went 
on,  it  grew  harder  and  harder  to  resist  nature's 
demand  for  sleep;  therefore,  when  the  order 
was  given  to  unload  the  ammunition,  none 
were  gladder  than  the  men  of  the  "  magazine 
watches." 

After  evening  mess  the  boatswain's  mate — he 
got  his  orders  from  the  bridge — came  aft,  shout 
ing  as  he  walked,  "  All  you  men  who  want  to 
go  in  swimming  may  do  so  right  away." 

There  was  no  doubt  as  to  the  popularity  of 
that  order.  "All  we  men"  wanted  to  go  in  swim 
ming,  and  that  right  away.  In  a  jiffy,  white 
figures  began  to  drop  over  the  side  with  a  splash, 
258 


'HE   GOT   HIS  ORDERS  FROM  THE  BRIDGE"   (page  258;. 


"  ALL    YOU    MEN    WHO    WANT    TO    GO    IN    SWIMMING     MAY 

DO  so  "  (page  258). 


THE    "  YANKEE  "    ARRIVES   OFF   SANTIAGO. 

and  soon  shouts  of  glee  filled  the  air.  The  water 
was  warm  and  clear  as  crystal,  and  so  dense  with 
salt  that  a  man  diving,  came  up  like  a  cork.  In 
fifteen  minutes  the  order  "Knock  off  swimming" 
was  passed,  and  though  we  left  the  water  with 
reluctance,  obedience  was  prompt,  lest  the  privi 
lege  might  not  again  be  accorded  us. 

After  hammocks  had  been  given  out,  boats 
hoisted — all  the  work  of  the  day  finished,  in  fact 
— most  of  the  men  gathered  aft  to  hear  the  band 
of  the  "  Oregon  "  play.  It  was  a  volunteer  band; 
that  is,  the  musicians  were  enlisted  men,  not  as 
signed  for  the  band.  They  played  with  vim  and 
precision. 

It  was  almost  dark;  only  the  ships'  outlines 
could  be  made  out.  The  red  and  white  signal 
lights  twinkled  at  intervals  at  the  mastheads  of 
different  vessels,  while  beams  of  light  showed  on 
the  still,  dark  water  from  open  ports.  The  whole 
fleet  lay  quiet  while  the  men  listened  to  the 
strains  of  music  from  the  "  Oregon."  It  was 
more  like  the  rendezvous  of  a  cruising  yacht 
club  than  a  fleet  of  warships  gathered  in  the 
enemy's  country. 

The  music  from  the  battleship  ceased,  and  for 
a  moment  all  was  still  save  for  the  lapping  of  the 
water  against  the  ships'  sides  and  the  splash  of 
a  fish  as  it  leaped  out  of  water. 
259 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Suddenly  and  together,  a  shrill  piping  on 
all  the  ships  broke  the  silence,  followed  by 
the  hoarse  cry,  "  All  the  anchor  watch  to 
muster." 

On  all  men-of-war  at  eight  o'clock,  the  anchor 
watch  is  mustered.  It  consists  of  sixteen  men — 
eight  on  duty  from  nine  till  one  o'clock,  the 
other  eight  from  one  till  "  all  hands  "  at  5:30. 
The  first  part  always  calls  its  relief  at  one 
o'clock. 

The  mustering  over,  all  flocked  aft  to  hear  the 
band  again,  but  were  disappointed,  for  the  con 
cert  was  over. 

However,  the  men  had  come  aft  for  music  and 
music  they  must  have  in  some  shape. 

So  "  Steve  "  the  modest  was  dragged  out,  and 
after  some  persuasion  sang  the  following  to  the 
tune  of  "  Lou,  Lou,  How  I  Love  Ma  Lou." 
"  Baron,"  the  gunner's  mate,  accompanied  him 
on  the  mandolin,  and  Eickmann,  the  marine  cor 
poral,  helped  out  with  his  guitar. 

"  'Way  down  at  the  Brooklyn  navy  yard, 

Where  ships  are  rigged  for  sea, 
Three  hundred  little  'heroes' 

Went  aboard  the  old  'Yankee.' 
Oh  !  we  were  young  and  foolish, 

We  longed  for  Spanish  gore, 
And  so  they  set  us  working 
As  we  never  worked  before. 
260 


THE   "  YANKEE  "   ARRIVES   OFF  SANTIAQO. 

CHORUS  : 

"  Hard-tack  and  salt-horse  every  day, 
"Work,  slave,  for  mighty  little  pay  ; 
And  just  before  we  get  to  sleep 
We  hear  the  bosun  pipe  like  this 

(Whistle), 
'Up  all  hammocks,  all  hands.' 

"  They  turn  us  out  each  morning, 

To  scrub  our  working  clothes  ; 
To  polish  guns  and  bright  work, 

To  '  light '  along  the  hose. 
To  wash  down  decks  and  ladders, 

To  coil  down  miles  of  rope, 
To  carry  coal  in  baskets, 

To  live  on  air  and  hope. 

CHORUS  : 

"  Hard-tack  and  salt-horse  every  day, 
Work,  slave,  for  mighty  little  pay  ; 
And  when  we  think  our  work  is  done 
We  hear  the  bosun  pipe  like  this 

(Whistle), 
'Turn  to.' 

"  Way  down  at  Santiago, 

We  fit  the  forts  one  day. 
The  shells  were  bursting  o'er  us, 

There  was  the  deuce  to  pay. 
We  hid  our  inclination 

To  run  and  hide  below, 
Because  we're  little  'heroes,' 
They've  often  told  us  so. 
261 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

CHORUS  : 

"  Hard-tack  and  salt-horse  every  day, 
Work,  slave,  for  mighty  little  pay  ; 
And  just  as  all  the  fight  was  over 
We  heard  the  bosun  pipe  like  this 

(Whistle), 

'  Gun-deck  sweepers,   clean  sweep  fore  and  aft. 
Sweepers,  clean  your  spit  kits.' 

"  One  Saturday  we  anchored 

Just  off  the  Isle  of  Pines, 
To  load  up  with  pineapples, 

And  look  for  Spanish  signs. 
We  called  away  the  cutters, 

With  seamen  filled  them  up, 
And  captured  five  small  sailboats, 

Two  Spaniards  and  a  pup. 

CHORUS : 

"  Hard-tack  and  salt-horse  every  day, 
Work,  slave,  for  mighty  little  pay  ; 
And  when  we'd  like  to  talk  it  over 
We  heard  the  bosun  pipe  this 

(Whistle), 
'  Pipe  down.' " 

"  That's  great!  "  said  one  and  all. 

"  There  is  just  time  for  the  '  Intermezzo  '  be 
fore  tattoo,  '  Baron/  "  said  "  Pair  o'  Pants,"  the 
signal  boy.  "  Give  it  to  us,  will  you?  " 

"  Baron  "  obligingly  complied. 

The  boys  lay  around  in  comfortable,  though 
262 


THE  13-INCH  CHARGE  OF  SMOKELESS   POWDER   WAS  LOW 

ERED  DOWN  "  (page  263). 


'  THE  ADMIRAL   WENT   OVER   IN   OUR   GIG  "   (page   268). 


TEE    "  YANKEE  "   ARRIVES   OFF   SANTIAGO. 

ungraceful,  attitudes,    a  small  but  appreciative 
audience. 

As  the  last  high  note  died  away  the  ship's 
bugler  began  that  lovely  call,  "  tattoo."  We 
listened  in  silence,  for  though  we  had  heard  it 
many  times,  it  was  always  a  delight  to  us.  Then, 
too,  it  meant  rest  (not  a  drug  in  the  market  by 
any  means).  Every  ship's  crew  in  the  harbor, 
at  the  same  moment  was  listening  to  the  call 
blown  by  their  own  bugler. 

The  men  tumbled  below  and  began  to  pre 
pare  for  the  voyage  to  dreamland. 

Five  minutes  later,  when  the  sleepy  "  taps  " 
sounded,  the  decks  were  almost  deserted  save 
for  the  hammocks,  which  looked  like  huge  co 
coons  swung  horizontally. 

The  following  days  till  Sunday  were  spent 
in  unloading  powder  and  shell.  The  six  and 
eight-inch  charges  of  powder  and  the  shell  were 
lifted  by  hand  and  slid  down  chutes  to  the 
barges  alongside.  To  handle  the  powder  and 
shell  for  the  thirteen-inch  guns,  steam  was  called 
into  service;  the  thirteen-inch  charges  being 
lowered  into  the  waiting  boat,  by  the  aid  of  the 
cargo  boom  and  steam  winch. 

This  work  was  hard  and  the  heat  trying,  but 
it  was  accomplished  with  good  grace,  for  we 
were  glad  to  get  rid  of  the  dangerous  stuff. 
263 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Sunday,  after  the  usual  inspection,  several 
visiting  lists  were  arranged,  the  most  popular 
being  that  for  the  "  Oregon."  "We  all  wanted 
to  inspect  that  wonderful  ship.  Visiting  is 
generally  conducted  on  Sunday  or  after  dark. 
The  word  is  passed  for  those  who  wish  to 
visit  a  certain  ship  to  "  lay  aft  and  report 
to  the  officer  of  the  deck."  The  party,  all 
in  clean  clothes,  are  taken  to  the  vessel  desig 
nated  and  lined  up.  After  being  counted  they 
are  allowed  to  go  forward,  where  they  yarn  to 
their  heart's  content  until  the  word  is  given 
by  the  boatswain's  mate  for  them  to  muster  aft 
again. 

The  "  visiting  party  "  to  Uncle  Sam's  bull 
dog  was  cordially  received  and  shown  all  over. 
The  great  battleship  was  as  clean  and  neat  as 
a  new  pin.  She  looked  as  if  she  had  just  come 
out  of  her  builders'  hands.  Paint  work  spotless, 
brass  work  shining,  engines  fairly  dazzling  in 
their  brightness.  The  crew  contented  and  full 
of  enthusiasm  for  their  ship  and  commander — 
gallant  Captain  Clark! 

We  saw  the  guns  that  helped  to  lay  low  Cer- 
vera's  splendid  fleet  and  we  saw  "  the  men  behind 
the  guns." 

Our  attention  was  called  to  a  Jacky  sewing  on 
a  blue  shirt. 

264 


THE    "  TANKEE  "    ARRIVES    OFF   SANTIAGO. 

"  Do  you  see  that  man  over  there?  "  said  our 
guide. 

We  answered  "  Yes." 

"  Well,  that's  the  chap  that  blew  up  one  of 
the  torpedo  boats." 

"Is  that  so?  Tell  us  about  it."  We  gazed 
open-mouthed  at  the  gunner  as  he  sat  cross- 
legged  on  the  deck,  sewing  with  all  his  might. 

"  Yes,  that's  the  chap.    You  see,  the  Spaniard 
was  coming  in  our  direction,  and  coming  like 
greased  lightning.      The   six-pounders   on  the 
superstructure  had  not  been  able  to  stop  her,* 
and  things  began  to  be  interesting " 

"  Yes,"  we  gasped,  breathlessly,  as  he  stopped 
to  light  his  pipe. 

"  Well,  as  I  was  saying,  the  blooming  tor 
pedo  boat  came  nearer  and  nearer,  and  did 
not  seem  to  mind  the  hail  of  six-pounders  any 
more  than  a  duck  does  the  rain.  I  dunno  why, 
for  she  had  no  protection  that  a  sixer  would  not 
penetrate. 

"  It  got  to  be  blamed  exciting,  when  the  offi 
cer  of  the  division  said  to  that  feller  over  there, 
who  was  a  captain  of  an  eight-inch  rifle,  '  Try 
your  hand  at  it.' 

"  Bill  said,  '  Aye,  aye,  sir,  give  me  time  and 
I'll  plunk  her  sure.'     All  this  time  the  sneaking 
craft  was  coming  nearer  and  nearer.     Bill  ad- 
265 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

justed  his  sight  and  looked  and  looked,  but  still 
did  not  fire. 

" { For  heaven's  sake,  hurry  up !  '  said  the 
division  officer,  getting  nervous. 

"  '  In  a  minute,  sir/  said  Bill.  '  As  soon  as  I 
get  a  good  bead.' 

"  He  was  as  cool  as  an  ice  machine,  and  as 
deliberate  as  an  old  hen,  but  he  could  shoot, 
so  we  held  ourselves  in  as  best  we  could  and 
watched.  After  waiting  for  what  seemed  an 
hour,  Bill  pulled  the  lanyard  and  the  old  gun 
roared.  As  soon  as  the  smoke  cleared  away,  we 
looked  to  see  the  result  of  the  shot.  There  was 
some  wreckage  floating  where  the  torpedo  boat 
had  been — that  was  all.  Bill's  shot  went  home, 
and  exploded  in  the  boiler  room,  and  the  whole 
craft  went  up  in  an  instant." 

We  looked  again  admiringly  at  the  man  sit 
ting  there  so  unconcernedly,  and  then  in  obedi 
ence  to  the  boatswain's  call,  went  aft  and  aboard 
our  cutter. 

All  the  ammunition  for  the  fleet  was  unloaded 
by  Tuesday.  We  still  carried  a  small  quantity 
of  both  powder  and  shell  for  the  "  Massachu 
setts." 

Tuesday  afternoon  we  anchored  alongside  the 
sailing  collier  "  Frank  A.  Palmer,"  and  began 
to  coal.  The  "  Yankee's  "  sister  ship  "  Prairie," 
266 


TEE    "  YANKEE  "   ARRIVES    OFF   SANTIAGO. 

manned  by  the  Massachusetts  Naval  Reserves, 
lay  on  the  other  side;  we  exchanged  visits  and 
found  them  good  fellows,  and  we  yarned  away 
to  our  heart's  content. 

We  had  now  become,  in  a  degree,  used  to  coal 
ing;  our  muscles  were  hardened  and  some  long- 
needed  labor-saving  devices  had  been  intro 
duced,  so  the  work  was  a  little  easier. 

Coaling  continued  till  Friday  night.  During 
the  morning  of  that  day  we  were  told  that  if 
two  hundred  tons  were  put  aboard,  a  chance 
would  be  given  us  on  the  morrow  to  see  the 
wrecks  of  Cervera's  once  fine  vessels.  It  was 
all  the  incentive  we  needed,  and  the  coal  came 
aboard  in  a  steady  stream.  A  little  after  seven 
the  required  amount  was  in  the  bunkers,  and  by 
eight  o'clock  the  stages  and  other  coaling  para 
phernalia  were  stowed  away  and  the  "  Yankee  " 
had  cast  loose  and  was  anchored  by  herself. 

The  following  morning  dawned  bright  and 
clear.  Admiral  Sampson  came  aboard  at  8:30. 
We  manned  the  "  cat  falls  "  and  got  under  way 
at  once. 

On  the  way  down  to  the  wrecks,  the  ship  was 
cleaned,  so  by  the  time  we  reached  the  ruins  of 
the  Spanish  vessels,  the  "  Yankee  "  was  spick 
and  span. 

We  passed  the  wrecks  of  the  two  torpedo 
267 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

boats,  passed  the  mouth  of  Santiago  harbor,  till 
finally  we  came  to  the  "  Almirante  Oquendo  " 
and  the  "  Maria  Teresa,"  fifteen  miles  west  of 
old  Morro. 

The  two  wrecks  lay  close  together.  They 
were  a  melancholy  sight;  the  "  Almirante 
Oquendo,"  badly  listed  to  port,  a  great  rent  in 
her  side,  rusted,  almost  completely  demolished. 
The  "  Maria  Teresa  "  seemed  in  better  shape, 
but  many  shot  holes  were  visible  in  her  side. 

It  was  a  dreary  though  gratifying  sight.  The 
great  green-clothed  mountains  looked  down 
serenely  on  these  two  examples  of  man's  handi 
work  and  man's  destructiveness;  the  blue  sea 
dashed  itself  to  foam  against  the  coral-bound 
coast;  and  the  bright  sun  shone  over  all. 

The  admiral  went  over  in  our  gig,  together 
with  the  captain  and  executive  officer.  Several 
other  boats  went  along,  carrying,  beside  the 
regular  crews,  commissioned  and  chief  petty 
officers. 

As  we  watched  the  boats  bobbing  in  the  short 
billows  on  their  way,  we,  who  were  left  behind, 
could  not  help  comparing  these  battered  hulks 
before  us  with  our  magnificent  ships  in  Guan- 
tanamo  Bay. 

All  hail  to  the  American  seamen,  "  the  men 
behind  the  guns  " ! 

2G8 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

HOPE  DEFERRED. 

For  a  few  days  there  was  little  to  do  beyond 
the  never-ending  routine  work :  scrubbing  decks, 
cleaning  paint,  and  polishing  bright  work  on 
guns  and  equipments. 

We  were  beginning  to  wonder  if  we  were  to 
lie  at  anchor  indefinitely,  and  if  our  last  chance 
of  seeing  any  active  service  had  gone  by. 

On  the  morning  of  Monday,  August  1st,  we 
had  orders  to  get  under  way  and  go  to  sea. 
Tongues  began  to  wag  at  once,  and  before  we 
had  fairly  cleared  the  harbor  a  dozen  different 
destinations  had  been  picked  out. 

It  would  seem  as  if  there  could  be  no  great 
danger  in  letting  the  men  have  some  knowledge 
of  where  they  are  bound  when  fairly  at  sea, 
with  no  beings  to  whom  the  secret  might  be  told, 
save  sharks  and  dolphins,  but 

"Theirs  not  to  make  reply, 
Theirs  not  to  reason  why." 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

The  navy  has  little  use  for  Jacky's  brains; 
only  his  trained  muscles  and  sinews.  There  is 
no  life  that  can  be  depended  upon  to  take  the 
pride  of  intellect  out  of  a  man  like  that  of  a 
sailor,  as  Rudyard  Kipling  has  shown  in  the  case 
of  Harvey  Cheyne.  We  of  the  crew  could  think 
of  many  a  cad  on  whom  we  would  like  to  try  the 
discipline. 

The  most  popular  rumor  ran  to  this  effect: 
we  are  bound  for  Porto  Rico  to  take  part  with 
the  "  Massachusetts,"  "  New  Orleans,"  "  Dixie," 
and  other  ships  of  the  fleet  in  a  bombardment  of 
San  Juan. 

By  the  time  land  had  faded  from  view,  we 
knew  that  we  really  were  bound  for  Porto  Rico, 
but  for  what  purpose  we  knew  not.  The  rumor 
was  correct  in  part,  at  least. 

We  were  glad  to  get  to  sea  again.  There  is 
an  undefinable  feeling  of  relief,  almost  of  joy, 
when  the  regular  throbbing  of  the  engines  be 
gins  and  the  ship  rolls  and  heaves  to  the 
swell. 

The  spirits  of  the  men  rise ;  smiles  lighten  up 
their  faces,  and  snatches  of  song  can  be  heard 
as  they  work  coiling  down  lines,  lashing  mov 
ables,  and  preparing  the  vessel  for  the  rough- 
and-tumble  conflict  with  the  sea. 

As  the  sun  sank,  the  waves  rose.  By  the  time 
270 


HOPE    DEFERRED. 

the  first  night  watch  went  on  duty,  the  old 
steamer  was  tossing  like  a  chip. 

The  guns'  crews  of  the  watch  on  deck  were 
ordered  to  sleep  by  their  posts,  and  all  was  in 
readiness  for  instant  action. 

At  eleven  o'clock  we  were  roused  by  the  call 
for  "  general  quarters,"  and  in  a  minute  all 
hands  were  in  their  places.  We  looked  vainly, 
at  first,  for  the  cause  of  this  commotion,  but 
finally  made  out  off  our  port  bow  the  dim  out 
lines  of  a  steamer. 

It  was  only  when  our  ship  was  on  the  top  of 
the  roll  that  we  could  make  out  our  chase  at  all — 
nothing  but  a  wall  of  water  could  be  seen  when 
we  lay  in  the  trough. 

"  That  boat  is  certainly  doing  her  best  to  get 
away,"  said  "Bill."  "And,  holy  smoke!  see 
how  she  rolls." 

"  She  can't  trot  in  our  heat,"  said  "  Dye." 
"  We're  gaining  on  her  every  minute." 

"  She's  not  a  warship,"  said  "  Long  Tommy," 
who  was  lucky  enough  to  possess  a  pair  of  glasses. 
"  I  wonder  if  we're  going  to  get  a  prize  at  last?  " 

"  You  forget  the  fishing  sloops.  '  Remember 
the  fish,'  "  laughed  "  Hay." 

The  two  vessels  came  nearer  and  nearer,  till 
finally  they  were  within  hailing  distance. 

"What  ship  is  that?"  called  out  Captain 
271 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

Brownson,  through  the  megaphone.  "  And 
where  are  you  bound?  " 

The  answer  came  faintly  over  the  tossing 
waves :  "  The  '  Burton/  with  coal  for  Santiago 
from  Guadeloupe." 

"  Ah,  ha !  "  said  Tommy,  "  we  get  a  prize  at 
last." 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  said  "  Stump,"  "  he  is  say 
ing  something  else." 

A  gust  of  wind  came  at  that  moment  and 
carried  most  of  the  sound  away,  but  we  gathered 
that  our  hoped-for  prize  had  papers  from  our 
consul  allowing  her  free  passage. 

There  was  a  universal  groan  of  disappoint 
ment,  and  when  the  order  was  given  to  "  secure," 
the  hose  was  pulled  up  with  unnecessary  vio 
lence,  hatches  were  lowered,  and  gun  closets 
closed 'with  no  gentle  hands.  Such  keen  disap 
pointment  must  somehow  find  a  vent. 

There  was  great  excitement  the  following 
afternoon  when  the  word  was  passed  for  all  hands 
to  get  out  their  leggings  and  to  wear  shoes  to 
midday  quarters.  And  when  we  were  arranged 
into  companies,  and  had  haversacks,  canteens, 
and  knapsacks  doled  out  to  us,  we  concluded 
that  a  landing  party  would  be  made  up  for 
Porto  Rico. 

"  The  '  old  man  '  is  going  to  show  the  '  Spin- 
272 


HOPE    DEFERRED. 

ache  '  that  the  (  Yankee  '  boys  can  fight  on  land 
as  well  as  on  sea,"  said  Tommy,  as  he  yanked  at 
an  obstinate  haversack  strap. 

We  marched  round  and  round  the  spar  deck 
to  the  music  of  bugle  and  drum  till  we  got  well 
into  the  swing  of  it,  and  felt  very  martial  and 
formidable  indeed. 

The  "  Dixie  "  hove  in  sight  at  this  juncture, 
and  after  a  long  megaphone  conversation,  we 
learned  that  the  "  Massachusetts,"  for  which  we 
had  some  ammunition,  was  on  her  way  to  Guan- 
tanamo,  so  we  reluctantly  turned  around  and 
retraced  our  way,  the  "  Dixie  "  leading.  Porto 
Eico  was  not  for  us.  Alas! 

We  felt  like 

"  The  King  of  France  and  his  hundred  thousand  men 
Drew  their  swords  and  put  them  up  again." 

The  next  morning  we  hove-to  a  Norwegian 
steamer,  the  "  Marie,"  and  before  we  realized 
what  was  being  done,  we  found  that  we  had 
a  prize  at  last.  A  snug  little  steamer  she 
was,  well  loaded  down  with  coal  for  Cervera's 
fleet. 

"  Cutlets  "  went  over  in  a  whaleboat,  with  a 
prize  crew  of  six  men. 

"  Well,  well !  this  is"  almost  too  good  to  be 
true,"  said  an  after  guard.  "  This  is  great  luck. 
18  273 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

We  capture  a  prize  and  get  rid  of  '  Cutlets '  at 
the  same  time." 

To  which  we  all  said,  Amen. 

We  separated  from  the  "  Marie,"  and,  as  the 
"  Yankee  "  was  much  the  faster,  she  was  soon 
lost  to  sight. 

The  anchor  had  no  sooner  been  dropped  in 
Guantanamo  Bay  than  our  captain  went  over 
to  the  "  New  York,"  and  then  signals  began  to 
be  displayed,  and  soon  after  all  hands  were  haul 
ing  on  the  "  cat  falls." 

The  skipper  returned;  the  gig  was  pulled  up 
to  its  place,  and  very  soon  we  were  ploughing  the 
water  in  the  open.  As  we  went  out,  our  prize 
came  in. 

It  seems  the  encounter  with  the  "  Burton  " 
was  told  to  the  admiral,  and  he  at  once  ordered 
us  to  go  out  and  get  her. 

We  headed  straight  out.  The  black  smoke 
poured  out  of  the  funnels;  the  ship  shook  with 
the  pounding  of  the  strained  engines.  The  land 
faded  from  view. 

About  two  o'clock  we  sighted  the  object  of 
our  chase,  and  it  only  required  a  blank  shot 
from  the  forward  six-pounder  to  bring  her 
to. 

The  prize  crew,  consisting  of  six  seamen,  some 
firemen  and  engineers,  and  officered  by  Lieu- 
274 


HOPE    DEFERRED. 

tenant  Duncan,  went  over  and  took  possession 
of  our  second  prize  in  one  day. 

Captor  and  captive  then  turned  and  headed 
for  Guantanamo. 

The  men  were  in  high  spirits.  Speculation 
was  rife  as  to  the  amount  of  prize  money  each 
would  secure,  and  some  even  went  so  far  as  to 
plan  the  spending  of  it. 

Every  one  felt  very  gay,  and  as  if  something 
should  be  done  to  celebrate  our  good  fortune. 
We  would  have  liked  to  spend  some  money  for 
an  entertainment,  but  that  was  impossible. 

"  Dick,"  however,  was  impressed  into  service 
to  furnish  some  amusement.  "  Dick,"  a  fore 
castle  man,  is  a  born  story-teller,  and  we  knew 
if  we  could  get  him  started,  some  fun  would  be 
assured. 

After  some  pressure  he  acquiesced,  and  began 
the  following  yarn : 

"  One  day  a  certain  Irishman,  Mike  Dooley 
by  name,  departed  this  life.  He  was  much  re 
spected,  and  his  death  caused  no  little  sorrow  to 
his  friends  and  neighbors.  His  wife  and  chil 
dren  were  simply  inconsolable.  The  widow 
wished  to  have  a  handsome  funeral  in  his  honor 
and  spent  her  savings  in  furtherance  of  that  plan. 
She  had  enough  money  for  everything,  except 
the  silver  inscription  plate.  But  that  difficulty 
275 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  1 ANKEE." 

was  easily  overcome,  for  '  What's  the  matter  wid 
Pat  Molloy  painting  it  nately  in  white  paint? ' 
she  said. 

"  Pat,  being  approached  on  the  subject,  ex 
pressed  his  entire  willingness,  and  soon  after 
called  for  the  casket  and  took  it  away.  He  was 
told  to  letter  the  following,  in  neat,  white  letters : 
'  Michael  Dooley  departed  this  life  in  his  prime, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-eight.' 

"  Pat  was  a  bricklayer  by  trade,  and  painting 
was  only  a  '  side  line  '  with  him. 

"  He  started  to  put  the  inscription  on  the  cas 
ket,  and  got  along  bravely  till  he  came  to  '  age 
of  twenty-eight.'  Then  he  realized  that  he  could 
not  make  the  figures.  He  puzzled  over  it  a  long 
while,  for  he  did  not  like  to  ask  and  thus  show  up 
his  ignorance. 

"  Finally  a  bright  idea  struck  him.  Four 
sevens  make  twrenty-eight — why  not  put  down 
four  sevens — that  was  easy ! 

"  The  job  wras  finished  just  in  time. 

"  The  relatives  and  friends  were  gathered 
round  to  pay  their  last  respects.  One  friend  was 
asked  to  get  up  and  make  a  few  remarks.  He 
did  so  and  began  as  follows : 

" f  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  say  a  few  words  on 
this  sad  occasion,  a  few  words  of  praise  for  our 
beloved  friend;  for  other  words  than  praise  could 
276 


HOPE    DEFERRED. 

not  be  said  of  him.  I  am  proud  to  have  known 
him  and  to  have  been  numbered  among  his 
friends.  His  virtues  need  hardly  be  repeated. 
You  knew  him  well.  His  generosity,  his  friend 
liness,  and  all  the  rest  he  possessed.  I  knew  him 
from  his  youth  up,  and  I  am  well  aware  of  his 
goodness,  as  are  you.  He  was  a  good  husband, 
a  good  father,  and  a  good  friend.  It  is  hard  to 
give  him  up,  but  it  must  be.  He  died  at  the  age 

of ' 

"  Here  the  speaker  glanced  at  the  casket  be 
side  which  he  stood,  and  read  the  following: 


MICHAEL  DOOLEY 

DEPARTED    THIS   LIFE    IN   HIS    PRIME, 
AT    THE    AGE    OF 

7777. 


" '  Yis,  my  bereaved  friends,'  he  continued, 
'  he  was  a  good  father,  husband,  and  friend,  and 
none  knows  that  better  than  I.  He  was  cut  off 
in  the  pride  of  manhood,  you  might  say — in  his 
prime,  at  the  age  of— 

"  He  glanced  at  the  inscription  again,  then, 
after  a  painful  pause,  blurted  forth :  '  Well,  how 
the  divil  did  he  escape  the  flood? ' 

The  sound  of  "  tattoo  "  interrupted  our  laugh 
ter  at  this  point,  and  all  hands  tumbled  below. 
277 


A   GUNNER   ABOARD    THE    "YANKEE." 

The  following  day  we  got  rid  of  the  last  of  the 
ammunition  to  the  "  Massachusetts."  A  sigh  of 
relief  and  thankfulness  went  up  as  the  last  charge 
of  powder  was  taken  over  the  side. 

The  same  day  we  saw  some  of  our  prize  money 
vanish  into  thin  air.  The  "  Burton  "  was  re 
leased,  and  steamed  out  of  the  harbor. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  a  well-authenti 
cated  rumor  went  the  rounds  to  the  effect  that 
we  were  to  go  with  a  formidable  fleet  to  Spain, 
harass  her  coasts,  and  do  up  Camara's  fleet.  This 
rumor  was  so  well  founded  that  many  of  us  be 
lieved  it,  and,  consequently,  much  time  was  spent 
in  writing  farewell  letters. 

The  prospect  of  soon  seeing  the  "  land  of  the 
free  and  the  home  of  the  brave  "  was  not  very 
bright.  The  consensus  of  opinion  at  this  time 
was  that  we  would  see  our  year  out  in  Uncle 
Sam's  service. 

There  was  considerable  gloom.  The  start 
once  made  and  the  "  Yankee  "  actually  on  her 
way  to  the  land  of  the  Dons,  all  would  be  well 
and  all  hands  would  be  cheerful;  but  the  con 
templation  of  the  long  trip  in  the  wrong  direc 
tion  was  a  very  different  matter. 

The  air  was  full  of  rumors.  All  was  uncer 
tain.  We  continued  to  write  farewell  letters, 
while  the  invading  fleet  still  lay  quietly  at 
278 


HOPE    DEFERRED. 

anchor,  but  ready  to  sail  to  the  ends  of  the  earth 
at  a  few  hours'  notice. 

The  night  of  August  10th  was  moonless  and 
dark.  There  had  been  no  music  from  the  "  Ore 
gon's  "  band,  and  none  of  our  men  felt  inclined 
to  sing. 

The  uncertainty  had  begun  to  tell,  and  all 
were  a  little  depressed. 

I  was  "  it  "  for  anchor  watch,  and,  as  is  often 
the  case,  the  anchor  watch  manned  the  running 
small  boat. 

We  visited  several  vessels  of  the  fleet,  the  crew 
staying  in  the  boat  while  the  officers  went  aboard. 
When  we  finally  started  to  return  to  our  own 
ship,  we  carried  two  of  our  officers,  Mr.  Duncan, 
Mr.  Barnard,  and  an  officer  from  the  "  Indiana." 
As  we  cleared  the  wall-like  sides  of  the  "  St. 
Paul,"  we  noted  that  the  general  signal  call 
(four  red  lights)  was  up  ^n  the  "  l^ew  York." 
Then,  as  we  watched,  the  red  and  white  bulbs 
began  to  spell  out  a  message  that  made  us  all 
thrill  with  joy.  The  interest  of  the  moment 
broke  down  all  barriers  of  rank,  and  officers  and 
men  spelled  out  the  exciting  words  aloud. 

A-S-S-O-C-I-A-T-E-D  P-R-E-S-S  D-E-S-P-A-T-C-H 
S-T-A-T-E-S  T-H-A-T  P-E-A-C-E  P-R-O-T-O-C-O-L 
H-A-S  B-E-E-N  A-G-R-E-E-D  U-P-O-N. 

279 


A  GUNNER  ABOARD  THE  "  YANKEE." 

We  Jackies  would  have  liked  to  yell,  but  our 
lessons  had  been  too  well  learned,  and  we  re 
strained  ourselves.  We  put  the  officer  from  the 
"  Indiana "  aboard  his  own  ship  and  then  re 
turned  to  the  "  Yankee." 

As  soon  as  the  boat  was  secured  for  the  night, 
I  went  around  waking  some  of  my  particular 
friends  to  tell  them  the  great  news,  forgetting 
that  they  could  see  it  quite  as  well  as  I.  All 
were  too  good-natured,  however,  to  object;  on 
the  contrary,  they  seemed  glad  to  talk  about 
it.  There  was  some  dispute  as  to  the  meaning 
of  the  word  "  protocol " ;  but  all  agreed  that, 
whatever  its  meaning,  it  must  be  good,  coupled 
as  it  was  with  "  peace." 

As  we  talked  quietly,  we  heard  faintly,  softly, 
a  verse  of  "  Morse's  "  song: 

' '  Our  fighting  cruise  will  soon  be  o'er, 

Hurrah  !     Hurrah  ! 
We'll  be  happy  the  moment  our  feet  touch  shore, 

Hurrah  !     Hurrah  ! 

And  '  Cutlets  '  and  '  Hubbub  '  and  all  the  rest 
May  stick  to  the  calling  they're  fitted  for  best, 
But  we'll  all  feel  gay  when 

The  '  Yankee  '  goes  sailing  home." 

In  spite  of  the  peace  news  we  got  orders  to  go 
out  with  the  "  Dixie  "  and  blockade  the  Crooked 
Island  Passage.    So  about  four  o'clock  we  hauled 
280 


HOPE    DEFERRED. 

up  the  anchor  and  went  to  sea.  All  were  gay, 
and  many  shook  their  hands  in  f  arewell  to  Guan- 
tanamo  Bay. 

We  were  instructed  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout 
for  the  steamer  "  Monserrat,"  which  had  gained 
fame  as  a  blockade  runner.  It  was  rumored  that 
she  carried  Captain-General  Blanco;  that  she  was 
well  armed,  and  had  a  captain  noted  for  his  un- 
scrupulousness  and  for  his  fighting  qualities. 

"I'd  like  to  meet  that  ship,"  said  "Hay," 
"  have  a  good  '  scrap  '  with  her,  get  a  couple  of 
shot  holes  in  our  upper  works  and  battle  flags, 
and  then  bring  her  triumphantly  into  Key  West 
or,  better  still,  New  York." 

"  Want  to  go  out  in  a  blaze  of  glory,  do  you?  " 
said  Tommy,  the  long. 

"  Sure.  I'd  like  to  burn  some  of  that  powder 
we  took  such  trouble  to  load." 

This  expressed  the  sentiments  of  the  whole 
ship's  company. 

To  have  one  more  good  fight — in  which  we 
were  to  come  out  victorious,  of  course — get  a  few 
souvenir  shot  holes  where  no  harm  would  be 
done,  and  then  go  home.  This  would  just  about 
have  suited  us. 

We  floated  around  lazily  all  day  Friday  and 
Saturday  with  a  chip  on  our  shoulder,  as  it  were, 
but  no  "  Monserrat  "  came  to  knock  it  off. 
281 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

The  lookouts  at  the  masthead  strained  their 
eyes,  and  half  the  men  not  actually  at  work  did 
likewise.  All  in  vain;  not  an  enemy  did  we  see. 
A  number  of  transports  homeward  bound,  bear 
ing  worn  but  happy  soldiers,  were  passed,  and 
some  came  near  enough  to  exchange  cheers  and 
good  wishes. 

The  screw  revolved  but  slowly,  and  the  ship 
moved  just  enough  to  give  steerage  way.  Every 
passing  wave  did  as  it  wished  with  the  great  hulk, 
and  she  rolled  like  a  log  in  the  long  swell. 

Sunday  night  a  change  came  over  the  almost 
quiet  ship.  The  propeller  turned  with  some 
energy;  the  steering  engine  whirred,  and  the 
"  Yankee  "  changed  her  course.  This  time  she 
headed  straight  for  Guantanamo,  and  before 
many  minutes  we  knew  that  we  were  returning 
to  our  old  anchorage.  The  orders  were  to  block 
ade  the  passage  and  keep  a  bright  lookout  for  the 
"  Monserrat  " ;  if  by  Sunday  at  six  o'clock  she 
had  not  appeared,  we  were  to  return  to  the  fleet. 

The  men  who  were  so  sure  that  we  should 
never  see  Guantanamo  again  wore  a  sheepish  air, 
and  those  who  were  not  so  sure  lorded  over  them 
and  remarked  cheerfully,  "  I  told  you  so." 

Those  of  us  who  were  sleeping  at  midnight 
were  wakened  and  told  to  come  to  the  port  and 
look.  Sleepily  we  obeyed,  but  the  moment  we 
282 


HOPE    DEFERRED. 

reached  the  opening  we  were  wide  awake.  There, 
not  three  miles  off,  rolling  in  the  ground  swell, 
lay  a  great  fleet,  the  searchlights  sweeping  the 
heavens  and  sea;  the  signal  lanterns  twinkling. 

As  we  looked,  we  saw  at  the  masthead  of  the 
foremost  vessel  the  signal  lights  spell  out  A  fol 
lowed  by  D,  the  "  Yankee's  "  private  night  sig 
nal.  Then,  and  our  eyes  almost  started  from 
our  heads  as  we  gazed,  the  lights  continued  to 
spell : 

"  Blockade  raised;  hostilities  ceased." 

"  Hurrah !  "   shouted   some   one   behind   me. 

"Wait  a  minute,"  said  "Hay,"  "that's  not 
all." 

The  lights  went  on  spelling :  "  We  are  on  our 
way  to  New  York.  You  are  to  proceed  to  Guan- 
tanamo." 

The  hurrah,  as  we  spelled  out  the  first  sen 
tences,  was  followed  by  a  groan,  as  we  read  the 
last.  We  were  glad,  indeed,  to  know  that  peace 
had  come,  but  it  was  hard  to  see  that  great  fleet 
homeward  bound,  and  know  that  we  must  go 
back  to  our  old  post,  to  stay  indefinitely. 

"  Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick." 


383 


CHAPTER   XX. 

TAPS. 

The  days  following  our  arrival  at  Guantanamo 
were  days  of  keen  expectation  and  equally  keen 
disappointment.  A  rumor  that  we  were  to  re 
turn  home  at  once  would  start  up  from  nowhere 
in  particular,  and  circulate  until  it  was  believed. 
Then  would  come  a  denial  and  consequent  dis 
content.  The  enforced  idleness  of  riding  at 
anchor  day  after  day  became  so  monotonous  at 
last,  that  any  little  incident  served  to  create  ex 
citement.  Visiting  parties  between  the  ships 
were  permitted  occasionally,  and  the  "Yankee's" 
crew  grasped  the  opportunity  to  inspect  some  of 
the  other  auxiliary  cruisers.  One  or  two  liberty 
parties  were  allowed  ashore  at  Camp  McCalla, 
from  which  the  men  returned,  tired  and  warm, 
but  full  of  enthusiasm  and  interest  for  the  things 
they  had  seen.  The  amount  of  "  curios  "  and 
souvenirs  brought  aboard  would  fill  a  museum. 
Pieces  of  projectiles  and  Mauser  cartridge  shells, 
fragments  of  an  unusual  red  wood,  and  pieces 
284 


TAPS. 

of  fossil  rock,  of  which  the  cliff  was  composed, 
were  stowed  away  in  bags  and  ditty  boxes. 

The  bay  now  had  a  very  deserted  appearance. 
All  the  battleships  and  many  of  the  cruisers  had 
gone  North.  The  auxiliary  cruisers,  "  New 
Orleans,"  "Newark,"  "  Marblehead,"  and  a 
number  of  converted  yachts  were  all  that  re 
mained,  besides  our  own  vessel.  It  was  still  a 
goodly  fleet,  but  in  comparison  to  the  great 
squadron,  seemed  small. 

For  the  first  time  we  were  at  a  loss  for  some 
thing  to  do.  Time  hung  heavy  on  our  hands. 
The  routine  work,  including  morning  "quarters," 
was  finished  by  half -past  ten  every  morning,  and 
the  balance  of  the  day  was  spent  as  pleased  us 
best,  within  certain  well-defined  limits. 

Much  time  and  thought  were  spent  in  chasing 
down  rumors,  and  watching  signals  from  the 
flagship. 

.  Troopships  from  Santiago,  laden  with  home 
ward-bound  troops,  sailed  by  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor,  but  we,  the  first  volunteers  to  reach  the 
seat  of  war  and  to  see  active  service,  still  lingered. 
The  "  Resolute  "  and  "  Badger  "  left  at  last,  and 
it  was  rumored  that  we  would  follow  next  day. 
But  still  we  lingered. 

Occasionally  we  got  mail  that  told  of  home 
doings,  and  almost  every  letter  finished  with,  "  I 
285 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD    THE   "  YANKEE." 

suppose  that  you  will  soon  be  home,  now  that 
peace  is  declared."  But  still  we  lingered. 

We  knew  that  we  could  hardly  expect  to  be 
relieved  at  once;  that  there  were  many  arrange 
ments  to  be  made  in  the  Navy  Department ;  many 
orders  to  be  signed,  and  new  plans  to  be  formu 
lated.  But  the  thought  carried  little  comfort 
with  it.  The  pangs  of  homesickness  were  get 
ting  a  strong  hold  on  us. 

Dr.  "  Gangway "  McGowan  had  the  ship's 
carpenter  nail  a  nice,  smooth  piece  of  board  over 
a  hole  in  the  wire  netting  of  his  cabin  door ;  some 
wag  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  and  let 
tered  plainly  the  following,  on  its  white  surface : 


DR.   "GANGWAY"  McGOWAN. 

OFFICE  HOURS  :  SPECIALTY  :  Cold 

All  hands  to  feet     and    home- 

hammocks,  sick  "  heroes." 


He  would  have  done  a  rushing  business  if  he 
could  have  found  a  sure  cure  for  homesick 
"  heroes." 

On    Tuesday,    August    23d,    our   depression 

reached  its  culminating  point,  for  the  word  had 

been  passed  unofficially  that  \ve  might  lay  here 

indefinitely — two  weeks,  a  month,  three  months 

286 


TAPS. 

— there  was  no  telling  when  we  would  get  away 
from  what  had  become  a  hateful  spot  to  us.  The 
men  went  about  with  a  dejected  air,  and  while 
all  were  good-natured  enough,  there  was  little 
inclination  to  talk. 

As  night  drew  near,  we  saw  several  troopships 
pass  the  harbor  homeward  bound,  and  the  sight 
did  not  lighten  our  gloom. 

When  the  sun  finally  sank,  we  were  as  melan 
choly  a  crowd  as  ever  trod  a  deck. 

The  men  gathered  in  little  groups,  bewailing 
in  monosyllables  the  decidedly  gloomy  future, 
when  some  one  glanced  up  and  saw  that  Com 
modore  Watson's  flagship,  the  "  Newark,"  was 
showing  the  general  signal  lights.  Then,  as  the 
answering  lights  blazed  on  the  other  ships,  the  red 
and  white  lanterns  began  to  spell  out  a  message. 

The  news  spread  at  once  that  the  flagship  was 
signalling  a  general  message  or  one  of  interest 
to  the  whole  fleet. 

Soon  the  rail  was  lined  with  signal  boys,  and 
signal  boys,  pro  tern. 

Those  who  could  read  them,  spelled  the  mes 
sages  aloud,  letter  by  letter. 

"  '  Y-A-N-K-E-E '  A-N-D  ' N-I-A-G-A-R-A '  W-I-L-L 
S-A-I-L  F-O-R  T-O-M-P-K-I-N-S-V-I-L-L-E  T-O- 
M-O-R-R-O-W.  'D-I-X-I-E'  A-N-D  <  F-E-R-N ' 
W-I-L-L  G-O  T-O  H-A-M-P-T-0-N  R-O-A-D-S." 

287 


A   OUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "  YAXEEE." 

With  a  single  bound  all  was  changed  from 
gloom  to  gladness. 

No  man  could  say  how  glad  he  was,  but  every 
man  felt  his  heart  grow  warm  within  him.  There 
was  a  deep  feeling  of  gratitude  for  the  provi 
dential  care  we  had  received,  and  for  the  happy 
release  that  now  had  come. 

"  Cupid,"  the  ship's  bugler,  played  "  Home, 
Sweet  Home,"  and  instead  of  mobbing  him  as 
we  would  have  done  had  he  played  it  three  hours 
earlier,  we  applauded.  He  also  played  "  Amer 
ica,"  and  then  "  Dixie,"  in  honor  of  our  Mary 
land  friends  on  our  sister  ship  of  that  name.  It 
pleased  them  mightily,  as  was  evidenced  by  the 
cheer  that  came  over  the  quiet  water  to  us. 
Their  bugler  returned  the  compliment  soon  after 
by  playing  "  Yankee  Doodle." 

There  was  much  good  feeling  when  the  men 
went  below,  to  turn  in,  but  not  to  sleep ;  we  were 
too  happy  for  that. 

As  the  talk  and  laughter  gradually  died  down 
(the  order,  "  Turn  in  your  hammocks  and  keep 
silence,"  was  not  very  strictly  observed  that 
night),  a  voice  would  be  heard  singing — not  al 
ways  the  same  voice: 

"  But  we'll  all  feel  gay  when 
The  '  Yankee  '  goes  sailing  home." 

The  following  morning  Scully  did  not  have 

288 


•'SANG  OUT  AS  HE  HEAVED  THE  LEAD"  (page  289). 


"  EIGHT  BELLS  " 


TAPS. 

to  repeat  "  up  all  hands/'  for  he  had  hardly  got 
the  words  out  of  his  mouth  before  every  man 
was  scrambling  into  his  clothes  as  fast  as  he  could. 

Soon  after  breakfast  the  order  was  given  to 
hoist  up  the  catamaran,  and  then  the  rest  of  the 
boats  were  pulled  up  one  by  one.  The  boat's 
falls  were  run  away  with  in  a  fashion  that  made 
the  officers  smile.  The  tackle-blocks  fairly 
smoked. 

The  only  thing  that  marred  our  perfect  joy 
was  the  departure  of  some  of  the  marines  to  the 
"  New  Orleans."  We  had  grown  to  like  them 
all  very  much,  and  especially  a  pleasant  fellow 
we  dubbed  "  Happy,"  because  of  his  unvarying 
cheerfulness.  We  had  hoped  to  bring  them  all 
back  with  us,  and  were  sorry  to  see  them  go. 

We  listened  with  eager  ears  for  the  final  order 
before  sailing,  "  All  hands  on  the  cat  falls,"  and 
just  before  noon  we  heard  it.  In  ready  response 
the  men  came  tumbling  up,  and  in  a  jiffy  the 
anchor  was  pulled  up  as  if  it  weighed  five  hun 
dred,  instead  of  five  thousand  pounds. 

The  leadsman  stood  on  his  little  platform  and 
sang  out,  as  he  heaved  the  lead,  the  number  of 
fathoms.  It  was  the  last  touch  we  had  of  Cuban 
soil. 

As  the  old  ship  gathered  headway,  cheer  after 
cheer  rang  out  from  the  ships  that  were  left 
19  289 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

behind,  and  in  answer  to  each  our  crew,  which 
had  gathered  on  the  forecastle,  gave  three  rous 
ing  hurrahs  and  a  tiger. 

So  we  sailed  out  of  Guantanamo  Bay  for  the 
last  time. 

It  was  with  a  feeling  of  sadness  mixed  with 
joy  that  we  watched  the  headland,  that  stands 
like  a  guard  on  one  side  of  the  bay,  disappear  in 
the  haze.  We  were  one  of  the  first  ships  to 
enter  its  then  hostile  portals.  We  had  gained 
renown  there;  we  had  seen  the  American  flag 
raised  on  its  beautiful  shores,  and  but  a  few 
minutes  ago  we  heard  a  ringing  American  cheer 
come  over  its  clear  waters,  bidding  us  Godspeed 
and  a  joyful  home  coming. 

The  voyage  home  was  like  a  triumphal  jour 
ney.  All  hands  were  in  high  spirits.  The 
gloom  of  a  few  hours  before  was  dispelled  by  the 
talismanic  words,  "  '  Yankee  '  and  '  Niagara'  will 
sail  for  Tompkinsville." 

Though  we  were  exceedingly  glad,  there  was 
a  good  deal  of  quiet  thinking  going  on. 

One  and  all  realized  that  we  had  been  exposed 
to  no  ordinary  dangers.  Danger  from  the  en 
emy's  fire ;  danger  from  a  deadly  climate ;  danger 
from  the  effects  of  unaccustomed  labor;  danger 
from  wind  and  raging  sea.  We  had  been  brought 
through  safe  and  sound  by  an  all-wise  God  to 
290 


TAPS. 

lead  peaceful,  useful,  and,  it  is  hoped,  helpful 
lives  at  home. 

This  same  thought  had  been  in  our  minds 
many  times  before,  and  with  the  feeling  of 
thankfulness  would  come  a  sense  of  surprise  that 
we  should  pass  through  it  all  without  harm. 

We  sped  on  and  on,  the  ship's  prow  ever 
pointed  North.  We  watched  the  water  to  note 
the  change  in  color;  to  see  when  the  blue  water 
of  the  Gulf  Stream  should  be  left  behind  and 
the  green  northern  sea  should  be  entered. 

As  we  neared  New  York  our  impatience  grew 
with  every  added  mile,  and  this  eagerness  was 
felt  by  officers  as  well  as  men. 

We  sometimes  forgot  that  our  officers  were 
capable  of  feeling  disappointment,  impatience, 
and  joy;  that  they  also  had  to  stand  watch  and 
get  along  on  short  allowance  of  sleep ;  that  they, 
too,  were  subject  to  annoyances  as  well  as  we.  If 
we  had  not  felt  this  before,  we  fully  realized, 
now,  how  much  our  officers  had  done  for  us. 

Lieutenants  Duncan,  Greene,  and  Barnard, 
Dr.  McGowan,  Ensigns  Dimock  and  Andrews, 
always  treated  us  fairly  and  honestly. 

Every  man  has  a  deep-seated  feeling  of  loy 
alty  and  affection  for  them  that  will  last  as  long 
as  life  shall  last. 

As  the  tropical  latitudes  were  left  astern  the 
291 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

nights  became  cool,  and  the  watch  on  deck  had 
the  novel  experience  of  walking  post  in  pea 
coats.  Shortly  after  daybreak  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  of  August  the  Atlantic  Highlands  were 
sighted,  and,  to  quote  one  of  the  forecastle  men, 
"  All  hands  shouted  to  see  God's  country  once 
more!  " 

Though  we  had  seen  the  Highlands,  Sandy 
Hook,  and  all  the  familiar  landmarks  of  the  har 
bor  many  times,  never  had  they  seemed  so  at 
tractive. 

The  steam  vessels  we  met  tooted  a  welcome, 
as  our  identity  became  known,  and  the  sailing 
craft  dipped  their  colors  in  salute. 

Inside  the  Narrows,  and  ranged  along  the 
Staten  Island  shore,  we  found  our  companions 
of  the  Santiago  blockade,  and,  as  we  passed 
through  the  fleet  to  our  anchorage,  the  crew 
stood  at  "  quarters  "  in  their  honor. 

We  heard  later  of  the  great  reception  these 
tried  and  true  fighting  ships  of  Uncle  Sam's  had 
received,  and  we  only  regretted  that  we  were 
not  present  to  add  our  little  mite  to  the  applause. 

After  two  days'  stay  off  Tompkinsville,  during 
which  time  the  ship  was  fairly  overrun  with  vis 
itors  eager  to  see  the  "  Yankee  "  and  her  crew  of 
"  heroes,"  we  steamed  through  the  Narrows  en 
route  for  League  Island.  Orders  had  arrived 
292 


TAPS, 

from  Washington  providing  for  the  paying  off 
and  discharge  of  the  New  York  Naval  Reserves, 
and  little  time  was  lost  in  obeying. 

On  reaching  League  Island,  the  naval  station 
near  Philadelphia,  we  found  the  old-time  war 
monitors  "  Nahant  "  and  "  Jason "  in  port. 
The  crew  of  the  "  Nahant,"  made  up  of  the  New 
York  Naval  Reserves,  were  in  readiness  to  ac 
company  the  "  Yankee's "  crew  back  to  the 
metropolis. 

While  waiting  for  the  specified  date — Friday, 
September  2d — bags  were  packed  for  the  last 
time,  and  all  preparations  made  for  leaving  the 
ship.  Now  that  the  hour  for  departure  was 
rapidly  approaching,  many  of  the  boys  began  to 
express  regrets.  Despite  the  hardships  attend 
ing  the  cruise,  it  had  brought  many  happy  days 
— days  made  pleasurable  by  novel  and  strange 
surroundings — and  it  is  not  claiming  too  much  to 
say  that  not  one  of  the  "  Yankee's  "  crew  would 
have  surrendered  his  experience. 

Friendships  had  been  formed,  too — friendships 
cemented  by  good  fellowship  and  mutual  peril. 
Those  who  have  spent  many  days  at  sea  know  that 
acquaintances  made  on  shipboard  in  the  midst  of 
calms  and  storms  and  the  dangers  of  the  deep, 
are  lasting.  And  that  was  now  being  impressed 
upon  the  boys  of  the  "  Yankee." 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

While  the  crews  of  the  "  Nahant  "  and  "  Yan 
kee  "  were  preparing  for  the  railway  trip  to  New 
York,  arrangements  were  being  made  in  that  city 
for  a  rousing  welcome  to  the  returning  Naval 
Reserve  Battalion. 

Shortly  after  ten  the  boys  were  mustered  aft 
to  hear  Captain  Brownson's  parting  speech.  In 
his  usual  brisk  manner  he  said  that  we  were  now 
to  go  back  to  our  peaceful  avocations;  to  our 
homes;  to  join  our  relatives  and  friends,  and  to 
become  again  private  citizens.  He  ended  by 
wishing  us  the  best  of  luck. 

The  cheers  that  followed  shook  the  old  ship 
from  keel  to  topmast,  nor  were  the  cheers  for 
Lieutenant  Hubbard  any  the  less  hearty. 

A  very  few  minutes  after,  we  piled  into  a  tug 
and  steamed  away.  Little  was  said,  for  there 
was  a  feeling  of  real  regret :  we  were  fond  of  the 
old  boat,  after  all. 

"Patt,"  the  gunner's  mate;  the  marines,  and 
the  few  men  of  the  engineer  force  who  stayed 
on  board,  waved  good-by. 

We  boarded  a  special  train  with  the  crew 
and  officers  of  the  "  Nahant,"  and  were  soon 
speeding  over  the  level  country  towards  New 
York. 

After  a  very  fast  trip  we  reached  Jersey  City, 
where  we  were  fitted  out  with  rifles  and  belts, 
294 


TAPS. 

and  were  met  by  the  band  that  was  to  lead  us 
through  the  city. 

The  people  of  New  York  turned  out  to  give 
us  a  rousing  welcome. 

It  was  a  welcome  we  shall  never  forget — a 
welcome  that  made  us  forget  all  hardships,  all 
dangers.  Whatever  pride  we  may  have  had  in 
our  achievements  was  drowned  in  that  thun 
derous  greeting;  we  were  humbled,  for  real 
heroes  could  hardly  have  deserved  such  a  recep 
tion. 

The  Mayor  stood  in  front  of  the  City  Hall  and 
reviewed  us,  and  later  we  were  reviewed  by  the 
President  himself,  at  Madison  Square. 

As  the  head  of  the  column  turned  down 
Twenty-sixth  Street,  heading  to  our  old  receiv 
ing  ship  the  "  New  Hampshire,"  the  band  struck 
up  "  Home,  Sweet  Home."  The  men  still 
marched  with  heads  erect  and  eyes  to  the  front, 
but  many  of  those  eyes  were  dimmed  with  a 
moisture  that  almost  prevented  their  owners 
from  seeing  the  long,  homeward-bound  pennant 
that  floated  from  the  masthead  of  the  old  frigate. 

As  for  the  greeting  given  by  mothers  and 
sisters  and  relatives  of  every  degree  and  by 
friends  assembled  on  the  "  New  Hampshire," 
that  is  one  experience  that  cannot  be  described; 
it  must  be  felt  to  be  appreciated.  Suffice  it  that 
295 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

every  member  of  the  New  York  Naval  Battalion 
felt  amply  repaid  for  the  hardships  endured  and 
the  sacrifices  made  in  the  service  of  Old  Glory. 
And  if  the  occasion  should  again  arise  for  the 
calling  out  of  the  Naval  Reserves  of  the  First 
New  York  Battalion,  they,  together  with  their 
comrades,  the  Naval  Reserve  Battalions  of  other 
cities,  will  cheerfully  don  their  "  clean  whites  " 
and  respond  to  muster. 
"Pipe  down!" 


APPENDIX. 


THE  NAVAL  MILITIA  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  Naval  Militia  is  a  volunteer  organization  made  up 
of  certain  patriotic  citizens  of  the  United  States,  who 
conceived  the  idea  that  the  country  could  be  served  by 
its  sons  as  well  in  the  naval  branch  of  the  National  De 
fence  as  in  the  military.  The  subject  of  a  naval  volun 
teer  force  had  been  agitated  for  several  years,  but  it  was 
not  until  the  latter  part  of  June,  1891,  that  the  first 
enlistments  were  made. 

Since  that  time  the  success  of  the  organization  has 
been  continuous  and  most  gratifying,  and  it  has  required 
only  the  recent  war  with  Spain  to  prove  that  its  value 
to  the  country  at  large  cannot  be  overestimated.  At  the 
outbreak  of  hostilities,  the  strength  of  the  Naval  Militia 
throughout  the  country  was  4,445  officers  and  enlisted 
men,  but  the  rush  of  recruits  incidental  to  the  opening 
of  the  war  vastly  increased  that  number. 

The  scope  of  the  organization  is  naturally  limited  to 
those  States  bordering  on  the  seacoast  and  the  Great 
Lakes,  but  the  interest  taken  in  it  to-day  by  the  people 
is  widespread  and  emphatic.  The  existence  of  this 
interest  was  amply  proved  by  the  enthusiastic  welcome 
tendered  the  returning  crews  of  the  "  Badger,"  "  Dixie," 
"  Prairie,"  "  Yosemite,"  and  "  Yankee  "  by  the  citizens 
of  the  cities  more  closely  concerned,  and  by  the  country 
at  large. 

297 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD    THE    "YANKEE." 

In  a  report  made  to  Secretary  Long  in  1897  by  Theo 
dore  Roosevelt,  then  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
these  prophetic  words  were  used  : 

"The  rapidity  with  which  modern  wars  are  decided 
renders  it  imperative  to  have  men  who  can  be  ready  for 
immediate  use,  and  outside  of  the  regular  navy  these 
men  are  only  to  be  found  in  the  Naval  Militia  of  the 
various  States.  If  a  body  of  naval  militia  is  able  to  get 
at  its  head  some  first-class  man  who  is  a  graduate  of 
Annapolis  ;  if  it  puts  under  him  as  commissioned  officers, 
warrant  officers,  and  petty  officers  men  who  have  worked 
their  way  up  from  grade  to  grade,  year  after  year,  and 
who  have  fitted  themselves  for  the  higher  positions  by 
the  zeal  and  painstaking  care  with  which  they  have  per 
formed  their  duties  in  the  lower  places  ;  and  if  the  lands 
men,  ordinary  seamen,  and  seamen  go  in  resolutely  to 
do  real  work  and  learn  their  duties  so  that  they  can 
perform  them  as  well  as  the  regulars  aboard  our  war 
ships,  taking  pride  in  their  performance  accordingly  as 
they  are  really  difficult — such  an  organization  will,  in 
course  of  time,  reach  a  point  where  it  could  be  employed 
immediately  in  the  event  of  war. 

"Most  of  the  Naval  Militia  are  now  in  condition  to 
render  immediate  service  of  a  very  valuable  kind  in 
what  may  be  called  the  second  line  of  defence.  They 
could  operate  signal  stations,  help  handle  torpedoes  and 
mines,  officer  and  man  auxiliary  cruisers,  and  assist  in 
the  defence  of  points  which  are  not  covered  by  the  army. 
There  are  numbers  of  advanced  bases  which  do  not  come 
under  the  present  scheme  of  army  coast  defence,  and 
which  would  have  to  be  defended,  at  any  rate  during  the 
first  weeks  of  war,  by  bodies  of  Naval  Militia  ;  while 
the  knowledge  they  get  by  their  incessant  practice  in 
boats  on  the  local  waters  would  be  invaluable. 
298 


APPENDIX. 

"Furthermore,  the  highest  and  best  trained  bodies 
could  be  used  immediately  on  board  the  regular  ships  of 
war  ;  this  applies  to  the  militia  of  the  lakes  as  well  as 
to  the  militia  of  the  seacoast — and  certainly  no  greater 
tribute  is  necessary  to  pay  to  the  lake  militia.  Many  of 
these  naval  battalions  are  composed  of  men  who  would 
not  enlist  in  time  of  peace,  but  who,  under  the  spur  of 
war,  would  serve  in  any  position  for  the  first  few  im 
portant  months." 

The  last  sentence  of  the  above  extract  is  of  peculiar 
interest,  inasmuch  as  it  proved  true  in  every  particular. 
The  crews  of  the  auxiliary  ships  manned  by  the  Naval 
Militia  during  the  Spanish-American  war  of  1898  were 
composed  of  men  who,  in  civil  life,  were  brokers,  law 
yers,  physicians,  clerks,  bookkeepers,  or  men  of  inde 
pendent  means.  They  sacrificed  their  personal  interests 
for  the  moment,  and,  in  their  patriotic  zeal,  accepted 
positions  of  the  most  menial  capacity  on  board  ship. 

Prior  to  the  outbreak  of  war  they  had  entered  into 
training  with  the  utmost  enthusiasm.  The  Navy  De 
partment  had  assigned  some  of  the  older  vessels  to  the 
various  naval  brigades,  to  be  used  as  training  ships,  and 
with  these  as  headquarters  the  brigades  began  drilling. 
In  addition  to  the  regular  routine,  summer  cruising  was 
taken  up. 

The  First  Battalion,  New  York  State  Militia,  for  in 
stance,  went  in  a  body  to  Fisher's  Island,  off  the  eastern 
end  of  Connecticut,  and  there  engaged  in  landing  par 
ties,  camping,  and  sham  battles.  On  another  occasion 
the  battalion  embarked  on  board  the  battleships  "Massa 
chusetts  "  and  ' '  Texas, "  each  militiaman  having  a  regular 
bluejacket  for  a  running  mate,  and  doing  just  as  he  did. 
The  two  ships  cruised  in  the  vicinity  of  Fisher's  Island, 
and  a  programme  was  carried  out  which  included  in- 
299 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

struction  in  the  different  parts  of  the  ship  in  great  guns 
and  ordnance,  such  drills  as  abandon  ship,  arm  and  away 
boats,  clear  ship  for  action,  general  quarters,  signalling, 
and  in  the  use  of  torpedoes. 

During  one  of  the  cruises  of  the  Massachusetts  Naval 
Brigade  a  detachment  was  engaged  in  locating  signal 
stations  on  the  coast  from  the  New  Hampshire  State 
line  to  Cape  Ann,  and  it  was  due  to  the  efforts  of  this 
detachment  that  the  signal  stations  established  during 
the  late  war  proved  so  efficient. 

The  Naval  Militia  of  Maryland,  Louisiana,  Illinois,  and 
other  States  were  given  opportunities  for  instruction  in 
the  handling  of  guns,  the  care  of  wounded,  in  infantry 
drill,  limited  artillery  practice  with  rapid-fire  batteries, 
and  all  the  details  of  naval  life,  and  so  well  did  they 
benefit  by  it  that  the  authorities  at  Washington  an 
nounced  a  willingness  to  trust  any  of  the  warships  in 
their  sole  charge. 

It  was  to  reach  this  pinnacle,  as  it  may  be  termed,  that 
the  Naval  Militia  organizations  of  the  United  States  had 
striven,  and  when  they  were  finally  called  upon  by  the 
Government  they  proved  their  worth  by  boarding  modern 
warships,  doing  the  work  of  regular  sailors,  and  fighting 
for  their  country  with  a  degree  of  skill  and  zeal  that  has 
earned  for  them  the  commendation  of  their  fellow-citizens. 

UNITED    STATES    NAVAL    CODE    FOR    VISUAL 
SIGNALLING. 

To  signal  with  flag  or  torch  "  wigwag  "  : 

There  are  but  one  position  and  three  motions. 

The  position  is  with  the  flag  held  vertically  in  front  of 

the  body  ;  the  signalman  facing  squarely  the  point  to 

which  the  message  is  to  be  sent. 
300 


APPENDIX, 

The  first  or  1  is  a  motion  to  the  right  of  the  sender. 

The  second  or  2  is  a  motion  to  the  left  of  the  sender. 

The  third  or  3  :  the  flag  is  dropped  in  front  of  the 
sender  and  instantly  returned  to  position. 

The  entire  code  is  made  up  of  these  three  motions — 1, 
2,  and  3.  Every  letter  begins  and  ends  with  position. 

"  WIGWAG  "     CODE.    UNITED   STATES  NAVAL   CODE 
FOR  VISUAL  AND  TELEGRAPHIC  SIGNALLING. 

ALPHABET. 


A 

22 

J  

.1122 

s  

212 

R 

2112 

K  

.2121 

T  ... 

2 

c 

121 

L  

..221 

U  

112 

D 

222 

M  

.1221 

V  

....1222 

"F, 

12 

N  

...11 

W... 

....1121 

F 

2221 

O      ... 

.21 

x 

2122 

G 

2211 

p  

1212 

Y  ... 

HI 

H 

122 

Q... 

.1211 

Z.... 

,...2222 

T 

1 

R 

..211 

NUMERALS. 

1 

...1111 

2  

.2222 

R 

...1112 

4 

2221 

5 

...1122 

6. 

.2211 

7 

...1222 

8  ...   . 

.  .2111 

9 

..1221 

0 

2112 

ABBREVIATIONS. 

a..  , 

,  after. 

n  

.  .not. 

ur.  ., 

...your. 

b.. 

before. 

r  

..are. 

w.  .  . 

.  ..word. 

C.  .  . 

can. 

t  

,  .  the. 

wi.  . 

,  .  .  with  . 

h 

,  ..have. 

u... 

..YOU. 

v..  . 

.  ..whv. 

x  x  3  =  "  numerals  follow  "  or  "  numerals  end." 
sig.  3  =  signature. 
3  =  End  of  word. 
33  =  End  of  sentence. 
333  =  End  of  message. 
22,  22,  3  =  I  understand. 

301 


A.   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

The  complete  number  opposite  each  letter  or  numeral 
stands  for  that  letter  or  numeral. 

Example  :  The  signal  sent  by  Commodore  Schley's 
flagship  "  Brooklyn  "  that  memorable  3d  of  July — 

THE          S3  IN"  E3    M   Y'    S  FLKET 

2,   122,    12    3      12,    11,   12,  1221,  111,    212    3    2221,   221,   12,    12,    2,  3 

L,    RLL,    RL    D      RL,    RR,    IlL,  RLLR,RRR,    1,111.    D    LLLB,  I.I.H,  III,,  III,,     I.,  D 

IS  COMING-          OUT       OB1 

I,  212     3     121,    21,    1221,    1,    11,     2211    3     21,    112,    2    3     21,    2221 

II,  I,HL     D      RI,R,   LR,   RLLR,    R,    BR,    LLRR     D      1,11,   RRL,    I,     D      Lll,   LLLR 

H    A.    R     B      OR. 

122,    22,     211,    2112,    21,    211,      333. 

11LL,   LL,    LRR,   LRRL,    LR,   LRR,      DDD. 

B  =  Right  =  1.  L  =  Left  =  2.  D  =  Drop  =  3. 

NIGHT   SIGNALLING. 

The  lights  in  the  Ardois  system — named  after  its 
inventor — sometimes  called  "shroud  lights,"  are  placed 
well  up  on  the  foremast.  They  are  red  and  white  electric 
bulbs.  There  are  four  of  each  placed  in  a  line  one  above 
the  other,  in  groups  of  two — a  red  and  white  bulb  to 
gether.  Unlike  the  "  wigwag  "  system,  the  whole  letter 
is  shown  at  once. 

The  code  is  the  same  as  the  "wigwag."  One  is  indi 
cated  by  a  red  light,  two  by  white,  and  three  by  the  com 
bination,  white,  white,  red  and  white. 

Both  systems  may  be  mastered  very  easily  by  a  little 
painstaking  practice,  and  much  amusement  may  be  had 
through  the  mystification  of  those  who  do  not  under 
stand  it.  A  "wigwag"  flag  may  be  easily  made  by 
sewing  a  white  square  of  muslin  in  the  centre  of  a 
red  bandana  handkerchief. 

The  best  method  of  learning  this  system  is  to  send 
simple  messages,  looking  up  the  letters  that  there  is  any 
doubt  about,  and  correcting  mistakes  as  you  go  along. 
302 


APPENDIX. 

NAVY  CODE  FLAGS. 

Messages  sent  by  the  navy  code  flags  cannot  be  read 
except  by  the  aid  of  the  code  book.  There  ,are  ten 
numeral  flags — 1  to  9,  and  one  for  0.  All  messages 
are  made  up  by  means  of  these  ten  flags  headed  by 
the  code  flag  (whether  it  be  geographical,  telegraph, 
or  navy  list). 

For  instance,  a  line  of  bunting  is  sent  up  on  the  flag 
ship's  signal  halliards.  It  is  read  from  the  top  down. 
The  geographical  flag  flies  first ;  then  follow  7,  6,  3,  8. 
It  means  that  the  message  can  be  found  in  the  geo 
graphical  list,  number  7638. 

The  repeaters  are  used  to  avoid  confusion.  Instead 
of  putting  two  number  1  flags  together,  for  instance, 
number  1  is  flown  with  a  repeater  under  it  ;  second 
repeater  repeats  number  2,  and  so  on. 

PREPARATORY. — Over  hoist.  Prepare  to  execute  sub 
joined  order. 

INTERROGATION. — Alone.  What  is  that  signal?  or  "I 
don't  understand — repeat."  Above  hoist  puts  sig 
nal  in  interrogative  sense. 

ANSWERING. — Flown  by  ship  receiving  message  indi 
cates  that  signal  is  understood. 

AFFIRMATIVE. — Alone.  Yes.  Above  hoist  puts  message 
in  affirmative  or  permissive  sense. 

NEGATIVE. — Alone.  No.  Above  hoist  puts  message  in 
negative  sense. 

MEAL  or  NUMERAL. — Alone.  Crew  at  mess.  Above  or 
below  hoist — the  numeral  flags  are  to  be  taken  as 
numbers  simply. 

CONVOY. — Alone  at  fore,  means  naval  convoy.     Above 
hoist  means  use  navy  list. 
303 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 

POSITION. — In  manoeuvres,  hoisted  by  each  ship  as  it 

gets  into  position  ordered ;  lowered  when  next  ship 

gets  into  place. 
GUARD  or  GUIDE. — As  its  name  implies — flown  by  guard 

or  guide  ship. 

TELEGRAPH. — Use  telegraph  list. 
DESPATCH  or  GEOGRAPHICAL,. — Alone  at  fore,  indicates 

that    the    ship    flying    it    is   carrying  despatches. 

Above  hoist.     Use  geographical  list. 
CORNET. — Alone.     Ship   about  to  sail.     Over  number. 

Official  number  of  ship. 
GENERAL  RECALL. — Recalls  all  small  boats. 
POWDER. — Hoisted  alone  in  port.     Taking  powder  on 

board.     Alone  at  sea.     Distress. 


RATING  MARKS  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES 
NAVY. 

THE    INSIGNIA    OP    RANK    OF    COMMISSIONED,    WARRANT, 
AND   PETTY   OFFICERS. 

There  are  four  classes  of  officers  in  the  United  States 
navy,  and  each  has  its  own  distinguishing  mark. 

The  commissioned  officers  of  the  line. 

The  commissioned  corps. 

The  warrant  officers. 

The  petty  officers. 

The  first  two  classes  are  graduates  of  Annapolis,  or 
regularly  commissioned  by  the  Government.  The  last 
two  are  composed  of  enlisted  men  who  have  been 
promoted. 

The  rank  device  of  the  commissioned  officers  is  worn 
on  the  shoulder-knot  of  the  full  dress  uniform  and  on 
the  collar  of  the  service  coat. 
304 


APPENDIX. 

The  marks  are  as  follows  : 


REAR-ADMIRAL. 

Foul  anchor  with  silver  stars  at 
ends  ;  and  one  stripe  of  gold  lace 
two  inches  wide,  and  one  of  one- 
half  inch  wide  above  it,  on  sleeves. 


COMMODORE. 

A  star  with  a  foul  anchor  at 
either  side  of  it ;  and  one  stripe 
of  gold  lace  two  inches  wide  on 
sleeves. 


CAPTAIN. 

A  spread  eagle  with  foul  anchor 
at  either  side.  Four  one-half-inch 
stripes  of  gold  lace  on  sleeves. 


COMMANDER. 

Foul  anchor  with  silver  oak  leaves 
at  ends.  Three  stripes  of  half -inch 
gold  lace  on  sleeves. 


LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER. — A  silver  foul  anchor  with 
a  silver  oak  leaf  at  either  end.  Two  stripes  of  half- 
inch  gold  lace  with  a  quarter-inch  stripe  between. 


LIEUTENANT. 

Silver  foul  anchor  with  two  sil 
ver  bars  at  either  side.  Two  stripes 


LIEUTENANT — JUNIOR  GRADE. 

Silver  foul  anchor  with  one  silver 
bar  at  either   side.     Two  stripes 


of  gold  lace  one-half  inch  wide  on     of  gold  lace,  half  and  quarter-inch, 


sleeves. 


on  sleeves. 


ENSIGN. 


A  gold  foul  anchor  on  collar  or 
shoulder-knot  and  one  stripe  of 
gold  lace  on  sleeves. 

20 


305 


A  GUNNER  ABOARD  THE  "YANKEE.' 


THE  COMMISSIONED  CORPS. 

The  commissioned  corps'  devices  are  substituted  for  the 
anchor  by  staff  officers,  -who  wear  the  same  rank  devices 
as  are  prescribed  for  line  officers  with  whom  they  have 
relative  rank. 
THE  PAY  CORPS. — A  silver  oak  sprig  and  a  narrow  band 

of  white  cloth  above  and  below  the  gold  lace  on 

sleeves. 
THE  MEDICAL  CORPS. — A  spread  oak  leaf  of  gold  with 

an  acorn  of  silver,  and  a  band  of  dark  maroon  velvet 

above  and  below  the  gold  lace  on  sleeves. 
THE  ENGINEER  CORPS. — Four  silver  oak  leaves,  and  a 

band  of  red  cloth  above  and  below  the  gold  lace 

on  sleeves. 

PETTY   OFFICERS'   RATING   MARKS. 

AJ1  petty  officers  wear  a  rating  device  on  the  sleeve 
of  the  outer  garment  above 
the  elbow.  If  they  belong 
to  the  starboard  watch  the 
mark  will  be  sewed  on  the 
right  sleeve  ;  if  the  port, 
on  the  left. 

The  petty  officers'  device 
always  has  a  spread  eagle 
above  it.  The  specialty 
mark  indicating  to  which 
department  he  belongs  is 
just  below  in  the  angle 
formed  by  the  chevrons. 
The  chevrons  indicate  the 
class.  Three  chevrons,  first 
class  ;  two,  second  class, 
and  so  on.  The  chief  petty 
306 


QUARTERMASTER. 


APPENDIX. 


officers  have  an  arch  of  the  same  cloth  connecting  the 
two  ends  of  the  top  chevron. 

The  specialty  marks  are  as  follows  : 


SEAMAN   GUN-       CHIEF   YEO- 
NER.  MAN. 


APOTHECARY.     YEOMAN — 1ST,        SHIP'S   PRINTER       BANDMAS- 
2D,  AND  3D  OR   SCHOOL-  TER. 

CLASS.  MASTER. 


MACHINISTS,    CARPENTER'S       BLACKSMITH.     BOATSWAIN'S 
BOILER-MAKERS,      MATES,  MATES   AND 

WATER-TEN-      PLUMBERS,  COXSWAINS. 

DERS,  COPPER-   AND  PAINT- 
SMITHS,  AND  ERS. 

OILERS. 

The  seaman  class  is  indicated  by  the  rows  of  braid  on 
the  cuffs. 

Seamen,  first  class  or  able-bodied  seamen,  have  three 
rows  of  braid. 

Seamen,   second  class  or  ordinary  seamen,  have  two 
rows  of  braid. 

307 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD    THE   "YANKEE." 

Seamen,  third  class  or  landsmen,  have  one  row  of 
braid. 

The  watch  mark  for  the  enlisted  men  not  petty  offi 
cers  consists  of  a  stripe  of  braid  on  the  sleeve  close  to 
the  shoulder.  For  the  seaman,  white  on  blue  clothes, 
blue  on  white  clothes. 

For  the  engineer  force,  red  on  both  white  and  blue 
clothes. 

The  watch  mark  indicates  the  watch  of  which  the 
wearer  is  a  member.  The  starboard  men  wear  it  on  the 
right  arm,  and  the  port  men  on  the  left. 

TAKING   SOUNDINGS. 

HEAVING   THE   LEAD. 

The  man  using  the  "  lead  line  "  (as  the  sounding- 
line  weighted  with  lead  is  called)  stands  on  a  grating 
that  projects  over  the  side.  This  is  placed  near  enough 
so  that  the  steersman  can  hear  the  man  who  "  heaves 
the  lead  "  when  he  calls  out  the  number  of  fathoms  of 
water.  This  he  tells  by  the  marks  on  the  "  lead  line  " 
as  follows  : 

2  fathoms,  twelve  feet,  2  strips  of  leather. 

3  "  3  strips  of  leather. 
5        "  white  rag. 

7       "  red  rag. 

10  "  leather  with  hole  in  it. 

13  "  3  strips  of  leather  or  blue  rag. 

15  "  white  rag. 

17  "  red  rag. 

20  "  2  knots. 

25  "  1  knot. 

30  "  3  knots. 

35  "  1  knot. 

40  "  4  knots. 

9  "  are  called  mark. 

11  "  "       "     deeps. 

308 


APPENDIX. 

The  leadsman  stands  on  his  little  grating  and  swings 
the  lead  so  it  just  clears  the  water.  When  it  is  swinging 
well  he  lets  it  fly  in  the  direction  in  which  the  ship  is 
moving  and  then  notes  the  depth  by  the  strips  of  leather 
or  rags.  The  result  is  shouted  out  so  the  steersman  can 
hear  and  keep  the  vessel  in  the  channel. 

THE   BOATSWAIN'S   CALLS. 

The  boatswain's  calls  or  "  pipes  "  are  very  difficult  to 
reduce  to  a  musical  scale,  because  the  pitch  of  the  instru 
ment  depends  entirely  on  the  amount  of  energy  expended 
by  the  blower.  The  novice,  after  a  few  trials,  would 
probably  assert  that  the  primitive  little  whistle  had  only 
one  note — and  not  very  much  of  that  ;  but  he  would  be 
surprised  indeed  at  the  volume  of  sound,  the  range,  and 
the  command  over  the  instrument  which  a  veteran  boat 
swain  would  soon  make  everyday  matter  to  him.  Not 
only  do  these  experts  sound  the  regular  calls  with  ear- 
piercing  exactness,  but  actual  tunes  are  often  included 
in  their  repertoire. 

The  pipe  or  whistle  is  held  with  the  bulb  in  the  centre 
of  the  palm,  the  hole  being  towards  the  wrist.  The  lobe 
to  which  the  ring  and  lanyard  are  attached,  serves  simply 
as  a  handle. 

In  the  diagram  given,  the  black  line  indicates  the 
"pipe  "  or  call  ;  the  four  faint  horizontal  lines,  the  notes, 
and  the  vertical  bars,  the  time. 

The  roll  indicated  by  the  wavy  line  in  the  diagram  is 
309 


A    GUNNER  ABOARD    THE   "YANKEE." 

made  by  rapidly  opening  and  closing  the  hand.  The 
gradual  rise  and  fall  is  effected  in  the  same  way,  but 
slowly.  The  rattle  is  done  by  a  quick  movement  of  the 
tongue. 

This  diagram  is  furnished  by  an  old  boatswain.  As  a 
rule,  the  calls  are  taught  entirely  by  personal  instruction, 
and  it  is  believed  that  they  have  here  been  put  into  print 
for  the  first  time.  None  of  the  ordinary  manuals  have 
ever  given  them,  the  young  sailor  having  had  to  learn 
them  by  experience  on  shipboard. 

Their  importance  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  every 
order  aboard  ship  is  preceded  by  the  pipe  peculiar  to  the 
command  ;  for  thougli  the  words  may  not  be  heard,  the 
whistle  can  always  be  distinguished.  Even  the  most 
lubberly  landsman,  with  such  continuous  practice,  soon 
learns  the  meaning  of  the  different  calls,  and  jumps  to 
obey  them. 


810 


INDICATES  A  ROLL  . 
A/WW  "  "   RATTLE  . 

EACH    BAR  EQUALS 

ONE  SECONDS  TIME  . 


BREAKFAST    DINNER.  OR.  SUPPER.  CALL 


BOATS  &.  DIVISION  TO  QUARTERS.  SWEEPERS 

MM 


z_ 


2  SIDE  BOYS.     A-  SIDE  BOYS 


PIPE  DOWN   HAMMOCKS 


CALL    ALL    HANDS 


MAUL   AWAY 


PIPE     DOWN 


PIPE    SIDES 


UP    HAMMOCKS 


UNCOVER.    HAMMOCKS 


A   GUNNER  ABOARD   THE   "YANKEE." 


STATIONS  OR  QUAR- 
CISE,  OR  PRE- 
OF  FIVE-INCH 
RIFLES. 


TERS  FOR  EXER- 
CEDING  ACTION, 
BREECHLOADING 


1.  First  Captain, 

2.  Second  Captain, 

3.  First  Loader, 

4.  Second  Loader, 

5.  First  Shellman, 

6.  Second  Shellman, 

7.  First  Shellman, 

8.  Second  Shellman, 


Second  Boarder. 
First  Boarder. 
Second  Boarder. 
First  Boarder. 
Pumpman,  Port  guard. 
Fireman,  Port  guard. 
Second  Rifleman . 
First  Rifleman. 


1.  Stands  at  elevating  gear  wheel  and  sights  and  fires  the  gun. 

2.  Stands  at  the  right  and  beside  the  breech ;  opens  same  after  firing  so 
shell  can  be  taken  out. 

3.  Stands  at  the  left  training  wheel— i.e.,  the  wheel  that  moves  the  gun 
laterally.    He  also  loads  the  gun. 

4.  Stands  at  the  right  training  wheel.    He  takes  out  the  empty  shell 
after  firing,  and  wears  heavy  gloves  for  that  purpose. 

5  and  6.  Stand  just  behind  No.  2  to  the  right  of  the  gun.  They 
may  be  termed  emergency  men.  They  assist  with  the  shells,  carry  the 
wounded,  if  any  ;  will  be  called  away  in  case  of  fire,  and  are  qualified  to 
sight  and  fire  the  gun  in  case  the  first  and  second  captains  are  wounded 
or  killed.  They  provide  revolvers  and  belts  for  Noe.  1,  2,  and  3,  and 
belts  for  Nos.  5,  6.  7,  and  8.  They  are  also  port  guards,  and  defend  the 
ports  in  case  of  close  action. 

7  and  8.  Carry  shells  from  the  ammunition  hoist  to  a  position  amid 
ships  convenient  for  quick  transport  to  the  gun.  They  are  also  riflemen, 
and  may  be  called  to  protect  any  part  of  the  ship  from  boarders  or  from 
fire  on  shore. 

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UCSB  LIBRARY 


